John Grogan is not getting bad press here at all. Mr Grogan is a champion of the pub industry and heads up just about the largest group of MPs in the country in the APPBG. As such he is hugely influential at least because of the position he holds he gets the ear of anyone in government he wants to. So he is a Key Player.

It is useful if a person is appraised of all the FACTS when they are a Key Player. Mr Grogan quite clearly has an overview of the pub industry which is empiricial save for one enormous omission. HE does not know much about the factual position of TIED LESSEES with relation to their pubco freeholders. Robert Humphreys is the secretary to the APPBG, and advises Mr Grogan about the state of the industry. Mr Humphreys has said that pubcos are akin to franchises, a business model operated all over the western economies with great success. Which side of the pubco / individual publican line APPBG stands on is self evident when you see where its operational funds come from. The APPBG's (this being the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, please do not get it confused with the Asociación de Pequeños Productores Bananeros),

activities are funded by the following pubcos:

* Enterprise Inns (£4700 registered in June 2008)

* Punch Taverns (£4700 registered in September 2008)

* Mitchells & Butler (£4700 registered in July 2008)

* Marston’s (£4700 registered in August 2008)

* Scottish & Newcastle (£4700 registered in August 2008), and

* Greene King (£2820 registered in July 2008)

In addition, the following brewers help fund the group:

* Coors Brewers (£4700)

* Anheuser Busch (£2900)

* SAB Miller (£2900)

* Diageo (£4700)

* InBev UK (£4700) and

* Carlsberg UK (£2900).

edited by: J Mark Dodds at: 03/02/2009 13:45:01