• Promote the interests of Britain’s pub goers
• Champion well-run community pubs
• Support the rebalancing alcohol taxation to support beer and pubs
• Press for reform of beer tie to deliver a fair deal for consumers
• Support the role of well-run pubs as solutions to alcohol misuse

These commitments are based on a campaign being run by CAMRA, The Campaign for Real Ale which is asking all Prospective Parliamentary Candidates whether they are willing to speak up for Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers. CAMRA’s new Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers Charter sets out a series of options for supporting well-run community pubs, local brewers and consumer rights.

Mike Benner, CAMRA’s Chief Executive welcomed Jon Tandy’s support for the Charter, saying:

“We are delighted that Jon Tandy has promised to work to promote the interests of beer drinkers and pub goers. Well-run pubs make a huge contribution to community life, each of which injects £80,000 into their local economy every year.  Amid growing concern over the loss of more than 5 pubs a day, it is now more important than ever to support well-run community pubs, to promote local brewers and to protect the interests of consumers.”

Speaking after signing up to CAMRA’s Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers Charter, Jon Tandy said:

“I am proud to be speaking up for community pubs, local brewers and consumers.  Well-run pubs are the bedrock of community life – they are part of the solution to the problem of alcohol misuse and not part of the problem.  They deserve our support.”

On behalf of Britain’s 15 million pub goers, I support CAMRA’s campaigning to:
1)    Promote the interests of Britain’s pub goers
2)    Champion well-run community pubs
3)    Rebalance alcohol taxation to support beer and pubs
4)    Reform the beer tie to deliver a fair deal for consumers
5)    Support the role of well-run pubs as solutions to alcohol misuse

Its always been my experience that a pub where the publican takes the trouble to serve well kept real ales, will be a well run pub in all other respects. Generally where the beer is good, the food, cleanliness and behaviour of customers is good too.  We are very fortunate in Shrewsbury to have a good number of quality real ale pubs in our town. This is not a matter of luck, it has taken a lot of hard work by dedicated landlords and CAMRA members. Shrewsbury has 12 pubs listed in the 2010 CAMRA Good Beer Guide, Hereford only has 2.

A well run community pub has so much to offer residents, especially those pubs which serve the excellent local brews now being produced in Shropshire. Such pubs provide a responsible controlled environment for the consumption of alcoholic drinks and deserve our support. We have all seen the dire consequences of irresponsible supermarket retailing of cut price, low quality booze, which often gets into the hands of minors.

Therefore I will be signing up to support CAMRA’s Beer Drinkers and Pub Goers Charter. I would urge those who care about our local community pubs to visit the CAMRA website at www.camra.org.uk and pledge their support.

The council will then have another meeting on the 23rd October 2009 to reconsider the pubs future.

Any views on this situation that you want me to know because I do attend the review meetings.

I think that the pub should stay open and I will be sending a letter of support to the council.  My reason for this is a simple one, with  a lot of pubs closing down in Shrewsbury and with the Rock and fountain being successful and employing staff so the last thing we want is to raise the unemployment in our Town and as someone at work said, closing the pub is not going to remove the trouble makers, just force them into another pub so nothing will really be solved.