Punch: ‘We’ll listen and change’

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news.ma/ViewArticle?R=83290

NO THEY WON'T!

This ludicrous fluff and dank warm air is at least a decade too late. There is no credibility to statements like these from Punch because, time and again, they prove themselves incapable of delivering what senior management say they do.

It is a typical reaction to doo doo hitting their fan: In attempts to deny stark reality staring them in the face pubco CEOs come out with statements like: "tenants earn around 70% more than the average full-time adult worker" (Giles Thorley 04/11/2008) when, actually, 67% of them earn less than £15K a year (BEC inquiry independent survey May 2009). Pubco chiefs ought to have more grace than to come out with such nonsense because EVERYONE knows they can't prove any of the upbeat stuff they pour out every time the tide of bad news washes against them.

A couple of weeks ago Punch was saying the BEC inquiry is nothing more than the findings of a kangaroo court. Enterprise was suggesting it would sue MPs for libel if they were not under Parliamentary privilege... the implication of both stances being that the carefully researched and compiled, shocking snapshot on the state of the tied pub industry, was a pack of lies.

A little past this time last year Punch AND Enterprise were saying they were looking forward to BEC inquiry because it would give them the opportunity to show just how far they had come since the 2004 TISC recommendations. Then, having had their day giving evidence to the inquiry the summing up of their performance was that pubco chiefs had "made themselves look foolish".

Now they are looking forward to a Competition Commission inquiry as an opportunity to prove once and for all that they are business angels. It's PATHETIC. When are these CEOs going to wake up, look in the mirror, admit the game is up and tender their resignation?