Another day in politics…

While the political future for pubs is thrown on the back burner for a month the repercussions of party politics continues regardless:

55,000 cider drinkers joined a petition called 'Leave our cider alone' on Facebook but the planned 13% increase on cider duty was shelved because there wasn't time to pass the law before Parliament dissolves on 12^th April. The bad news is that Labour will pick this up again if they return to power in June.

The Home Office weighed in again by publishing details on the mandatory conditions in its Guidance; yet another controversial series of arbitrary restrictions on responsible operators, from providing free tap water to preventing irresponsible drinks promotions.

Meanwhile the trade is biting back as Enterprise, Whitbread and M&B join the list of industry leaders who have registered their complaint in a letter to the Daily Telegraph about the planned hike in National Insurance contributions.

Luckily boardroom politics are still in the frame with much reading between the lines going on: Punch Taverns boss, Giles Thorley announced that he would step down after nine years at the helm and Greene King have reshuffled its Board of Directors, removing two divisional directors - Justin Adams and Jonathan Lawson - in order to achieve 'parity in the management structure.'

Finally, it's good to see that the fat cats are still lapping the cream as the new M&B Chairman, John Lovering picks up his 175% pay increase. The M&B House Managers have had their pay frozen until 2011.