Sniff sniff, is that the smell of hypocrisy and bullshit from Tim Martin.

I see that the head of JD Wetherscum Tim Martin is having a bit of moan in the Morning Advertiser about high rents. A wee bit of trumpet blowing after Wetherspoon successfully sued its former property agent Van de Berg (VdB), which was found to have perpetrated a fraud by helping third parties profit at JDW’s expense.

The Wetherspoon chairman wants all agents who are acting as principals to disclose their interests and for a publicly visible property register to be established for agents.

He said the level of disclosure and compliance currently required in the property market is “derisory in comparison to the stock market”.

Martin said the fraudulent diversion of freeholds to third parties had “huge” potential to lead to artificially high rents.

“This is because even one high-profile letting can be used as a comparable for a considerable number of other properties in similar locations, sometimes in other towns and cities.”

He gave the example of a pub known as “Canterbury 2” from the Van de Berg trial. It was bought by a third party for £500,000 then let to Wetherspoon for the “extremely high” rent of £75,000 per year.

Because its all about being fair, above board and honest right Tim? Yet there are other factors that can lead to the collapse pubs and restaurant companies.

Like what I hear you ask? Well how about a large corporate chain, the Tesco of the pub world, a supermarket dressed up as a pub chain distorting local markets to its own ends.

Its all very well Tim and his bad hair style appearing in the Morning Advertiser complaining about rents and the poor tenants being forced out by evil landlords agents keeping the rents up and yet how about this:

A fast food, microwave meal emporium, selling zebu burgers by the million undercutting the local companies with limited overheads.

A large chain that grabs large town centre spots, then lowers its prices, taking a "loss" in branch in order to drive out other local pubs.

A large chain that runs loss leaders, then is happy for supermarkets to take the flack for selling off the demon booze on the cheap whilst it does the same. How many times have lazy hacks who complain about Tesco flogging off its own brand larger for thruppence a can an yet not a peep on JD Wetherscum doing the same?

Yes, I know its all free market economics in action and if one wants to keep their local boozers open, then they have to get down the pub and use them.

I do, I would rather stick 20p extra in a local pubs pocket per pint, than see our high street pubs vanish forever, or be left empty for years another derelict building on the high street; or God forbid turned into yet another JD Wetherscum mock pub.

Tim, complain all you will about evil landlords and fair enough you have a point on that, however don't dare portray yourself as some bastion of light and virtue as many good local pubs have gone thanks to your chain cutting their throats.

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