Don't know what it's like in England, but in Ireland, Guinness (Diageo) have contracts with so many pubs. Probably more than 50% on the whole island. And they tell them what they can and can't serve. They created this awful beer a few years ago because of growing public demand for craft beer. New beer, new TV advert, new beer pump in the pubs and hey presto, peeps think Guinness have done them a solid and given them a lovely, new, "double" hopped beer to whet their collective whistles.
It is garbage. Like pretty much everything (and there's a few) Guinness has made over the last few years. Quickly cobbled together recipes to appease a shifting consumer market. I have said it before and I will say it again, Guinness have the means and resources to create something special, yet they bring out this muck. Why bother going to the effort to make something great when the people will drink what you tell them to drink (is how I imagine a board meeting goes at Guinness)!