MPS oppose beer tax rise

15th April 2009, 1:02pm

Chancellor Alistair Darling will be defying the majority of MPs if he goes ahead with tax rises on beer in next week's budget, according to a poll published today.

In a ComRes survey commissioned by the British Beer & Pub Association, 59% of MPs said they want the Treasury to axe its plans to increase Beer Tax - and, with pubs closing at a record rate of nearly six a day, 61 per cent of MPs want government action to support the pub as part of local communities.

The poll of MPs was released today a week ahead of the budget by the 'Axe the Beer Tax - Save the Pub' campaign.

Over 200 MPs, including 97 Labour backbenchers, have already signed a Parliamentary Motion (EDM 10) supporting the campaign after 25,000 members of the public emailed their MP. In a ComRes poll published last month, 70% of the public said they did not believe that an increase in Beer Tax above inflation was justified in current circumstances.

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of brewer Shepherd Neame, told a Westminster press conference: "This poll shows the Chancellor will be over-riding the majority of the Commons if he increases beer tax – as well as the majority of voters and consumers.

"Our message to the Chancellor is – don't kick this great traditional industry when it is down. When the facts change, change your mind. And rarely have the economic facts changed so fast."

Mike Benner, chief executive of CAMRA, added "We are not asking for special favours, only for a reprieve from an unnecessary and unjustifiable tax rise. The Chancellor needs to recognise the scale of the threat to the traditional pub as more and more close with every month of recession."

The poll by ComRes shows that MPs agree by a margin of 6-1 that the government should take action to support the British pub as a vital part of social life in communities.

Dr Richard Muir, senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, and author of a recent study of community pubs, 'The Social Value of Community Pubs', said: "MPs realise that pubs are more than businesses, they have an important role to play in communities. The government should not under-estimate the value of what is lost to community life when the local pub closes."

Related Articles:

• 23 Mar 2010 - 67% of British public want Government to scrap beer tax increase
• 05 Aug 2009 - 55% of all drinkers support lower strength beer option in pubs
• 01 Jun 2009 - New figures show UK near top of EU beer tax league
• 14 May 2009 - Unite supports pub beer supply investigation
• 13 May 2009 - MPs call for inquiry into 'beer tie' activity
• 28 Apr 2009 - Beer sales continue to slide
• 22 Apr 2009 - Industry react angrily to the Budget
• 20 Apr 2009 - 90% of public want taxes reduced or frozen in Budget
• 08 Apr 2009 - Tax rises will result in pub job losses
• 31 Mar 2009 - Sun advert launches 'Text the Chancellor' campaign
• 18 Mar 2009 - New figures show 3.2% fall in alcohol consumption
• 06 Mar 2009 - Closed pubs don't pay tax
• 02 Mar 2009 - New poll shows public are backing local pubs
• 19 Jan 2009 - Pub closures climb towards six a day
• 28 Nov 2008 - Axe the beer tax campaign launches

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