Conservative MPs call for a cut in beer duty
Conservative MPs have signed a letter imploring the Chancellor Sajid Javid to cut beer duty.
Chairman of the All-Parliamentary Beer Group, Mike Wood and Sheryll Murray, MP for South East Cornwall delivered a letter to the Treasury yesterday.
The letter, signed by 85 Conservative MPs calls for a cut in the duty in the Chancellor’s upcoming budget statement on 11 March.
Wood said: “Beer Duty remains much too high. It is much higher than any other major beer-producing country in Europe.”
“In fact, someone who bought a pint in each of the five other major beer-producing countries—Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and Poland—would still have paid less duty on those five pints than they would on a single pint in Britain.”
The UK pays 54.2p in duty per pint of 5 per cent ABV beer, compared to 19.3p in the Netherlands, 12.2p in Belgium and 4.8p in Germany.
Murray said: “The pub is a vital part of all of our communities and the best way to show our support for them is by reducing the tax burden on them.”
It follows a debate in parliament last week that saw 50 MPs across all parties show their support for the Long Live The Local campaign.
The campaign, which is backed by Britain’s Beer Alliance, urges Javid to listen to the 250,000 Britons who have signed a petition to cut beer duty.
Programme director of the campaign David Cunningham, said: “I’m glad to see that they have understood how much their constituents want a cut in beer duty at the next budget. Now it’s up to the Chancellor and the Treasury to take action.”
In 2018, the Chancellor froze beer duty after months of lobbying efforts from industry bodies.
The Treasury was contacted for comment.
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