On Tuesday 21st January 2014 Labour set out to back local pubs across Britain by voting to introduce a new code to support small landlords and give consumers greater choice.

When I think back to the local pubs I used to visit such as The Little Tumbling Sailor in Kidderminster, The Coopers Arms and The Briars on Habberley and The Fountain in Abberley I think is extremely sad that they have all been forced to close down.

This costs jobs, especially for young people, and hits the local economy by an average of £80,000 each time a pub shuts.

We need to back our local pubs. That’s why, a year after ministers promised action on this issue which still hasn’t materialised, I am supporting a statutory code to be put in place, including a non-tied option for publicans.

It’s time for the Tories to take real action to support small landlords otherwise Wyre Forest risks losing more pubs, and more jobs.”

Matt Lamb Wyre Forest Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate