13 February 2009
MPs rally against proposed beer tax increases
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More than 100 MPs have appealed to the government to abandon plans to increase beer tax in its 2009-10 budget - citing a potential spate of pub closures amounting to thousands of lost jobs.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) reported that 50 Labour, 40 Liberal Democrat, and 17 Conservative MPs had signed an early day motion supporting the BBPA's 'Axe the Beer Tax - Save the Pub' campaign.
Over 20,000 members of the public have also registered to support the campaign, launched in November.
"The thousands of people who have lobbied their MP over the last few weeks is a clear demonstration of the deep concern and anger felt among landlords, customers and the wider public," said the BBPA.
The Treasury, which has outlined an above-inflation alcohol duty rise in the upcoming budget, as well as four annual adjustments, increased tax on alcohol to offset November's 2.5 percent cut in VAT sales tax.
According to the BBPA beer sales in pubs dropped 9.9 per cent in the last quarter of 2008 - a 40 year low point. The result has been a 181 million pound decline in beer tax revenues since last year's budget.
The BBPA claims that a weekly average of 39 pubs went out of business across Britain in the second half of last year and 44,000 related jobs have been lost in the past 24 months.
From: Night Online
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