Bill Esterson MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Small Business, responding to the refusal to withdraw the appointment of Paul Newby as Pubs Code Adjudicator, said:

“Yet again the Tories are failing pub tenants. The continued refusal to withdraw the appointment of Paul Newby as Pubs Code Adjudicator is making it likely that the Pubs Code will be unworkable. Mr Newby has serious conflicts of interest.

“He is the director of specialist surveyors, Fleurets, and has acted for all the large pub owning companies. Mr Newby should be removed and a new Adjudicator appointed, who has no existing relationships with pub companies or tenants.

Pub tenants have no confidence in Mr Newby’s ability to act in an impartial way and Mr Newby’s role as Adjudicator threatens to derail the whole system and ensure business as usual for pub companies at the expense of pub tenants.”