Excellent article Robert and much food for thought. Citizens are made militant by circumstance. When placed under extreme social stress and intolerable hardship citizens organise themselves in military fashion against their oppressors. And so it is with the pub trade. At its simplest all oppression in the pub trade emanates from the ludicrous price pubcos charge for a wholesale pint of beer, and all other 'tied' products. Times are hard for small businesses. Times are hard for free trade pubs. Times are hard for tied pubs and they pay double for their beer. The rents are not countervailing. It is plain wrong.