The British Beer & Pub Association has welcomed today’s campaign launch by the TaxPayers Alliance. Along with the British Beer & Pub Association, CAMRA and SIBA, the TPA wants a freeze on beer duty in the budget, and has launched a new website, www.mashbeertax.org to support the campaign.
The campaign has been welcomed by The Sun newspaper, which in an editorial today also called for the planned April tax hike to be scrapped.
BBPA Chief Executive, Brigid Simmonds, who appeared on ITV Daybreak this morning to welcome the calls, said:
“With The TaxPayers Alliance and The Sun calling for an end to excessive Beer Tax hikes, this campaign shows that consumer support for a duty freeze is growing fast. With a tax freeze, the industry could create jobs for the Chancellor, and at the same time protect Treasury revenues.”
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For further information and requests for interviews with Brigid Simmonds, please contact:
David Wilson, Director of Public Affairs: 020 7627 9151/ 07557 436 033
Gareth Barrett, Public Affairs Manager: Tel: (020) 7627 9154
Neil Williams, Head of Media: 020 7627 9156 / 07974 249 779
Notes to editors:
The British Beer & Pub Association is the UK’s leading organisation representing the brewing and pub sector. Its members account for 96 per cent of the beer brewed in the UK and around half of Britain’s 50,000 pubs.
1. See www.mashbeertax.org
2. To view the BBPA film on duty and the budget, see here: www.beerandpub.com/filmpreview
3. Beer sales support around one million jobs and generate nearly £8 billion in tax revenues.
4. Beer duty was increased by 5 per cent in the March 2012 Budget. The total increase in beer duty since March 2008 stands at 42 per cent. The Government’s controversial beer tax ‘escalator’ policy means increases of two per cent above inflation until 2014/15.