Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meets with pubco campaigners

Pubs Advisory Service boss Chris Wright met with the Labour leader in his Islington North constituency for an hour on Friday, 3 November with Ei publican partnerships licensee Tony Cullen from the North Nineteen Steak and Ale house in Islington.

Cullen currently has a case going through the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) over a market-rent only (MRO) option.

Both Wright and Cullen told Corbyn that they believed that the PCA was not working as intended and highlighted their concerns about the appointment of Paul Newby.

“He has promised to look into the problems at the PCA office. Corbyn was also worried about planning and business rates and the whole package,” said Wright.  

“It was a wonderfully fast, intense, wide ranging conversation about pubs. He absolutely gets the whole pub community thing, the charity money pubs raise, that they help people and the whole social element.”

Cullen said the meeting went really well and Corbyn listened to their concerns.

“He seemed to understand the issues facing tied tenants and said he would be willing to help,” he said.

Wright said that during the meeting Corbyn revealed that he knew the new deputy PCA Fiona Dickie who has previously worked at the Islington law centre. According to Wright he was very positive about her appointment.

“He also mentioned that we need to put pubs into the Labour Party Manifesto,” Wright revealed.

The Morning Advertiser contacted the Labour leader's office, but it said it does not normally comment on private meetings.

However, as a result of the meeting Corbyn was expected to contact the chair of the Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Committee Rachel Reeves to discuss the PCA issue.

She wrote to PCA Paul Newby last month emphasising that his office was under scrutiny and that campaigners had raised concern about tied tenants’ access to MRO. She requested an assessment from the PCA on his progress.