Sun advert launches 'Text the Chancellor' campaign

31st March 2009, 9:27am

'Axe the Beer Tax - Save the Pub' has launched a national campaign to 'TEXT the Chancellor' urging him not to raise Beer Tax in next month's Budget.

The campaign was launched by a full page advert in the Sun newspaper. To take part, people can simply text the word 'LOBBY' to 81025, and a message will be sent directly to Alistair Darling.

The Chancellor increased Beer Tax by 18% in last year's Budget, and plans to raise it again next month.

However statistics have proven that this decision is very unpopular with the public. A poll last month found that 70% of Brits believed that the Chancellor is not justified in raising Beer Tax in the forthcoming budget and 198 Members of Parliament from all political parties have now signed a Parliamentary Motion (EDM 10: 'Save the Great British Pub') which calls on the Chancellor to scrap the planned Beer Tax increase in the Budget.

In addition, the Prime Minister, just a fortnight ago, said that he did not want the majority of moderate drinkers "to have to pay more" for the excesses of a minority.

Chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), David Long said: "We know from opinion polls how unpopular the Chancellor's proposals to increase Beer Tax are. We also know how unpopular they are in Parliament. Even the Prime Minister doesn't seem to like them.

"Now it's your chance to tell Mr Darling directly want you think about them. By texting the word 'LOBBY' to 81025, a message will be sent directly to the Chancellor urging him not to put up Beer Tax any more."

BBPA director of communications Mark Hastings, added: "The BBPA welcomes today's IPPR report, 'Pubs and Places' and its serious examination of the vital social role that pubs play in communities up and down Britain, and their concern at the rate of pub closures, now running at an average of six a day.

"The IPPR is a widely respected think tank and is the latest organisation to join our calls for a freeze in beer duty in next month's Budget, and for the scrapping of the Government's planned duty escalator to impose 2 per cent above inflation tax increases over the next four years.

"The Chancellor's beer tax plans were set out 12 months ago in an entirely different economic climate.  With a third of the price of a pint of beer already going to the Exchequer, he must now think again to help save the British pub."

Related Articles:

• 01 Jun 2009 - New figures show UK near top of EU beer tax league
• 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
• 15 Apr 2009 - MPS oppose beer tax rise
• 13 Apr 2009 - 'We will not punish those who drink responsibly'
• 08 Apr 2009 - Tax rises will result in pub job losses
• 03 Apr 2009 - Over 1,130 pubs owned by pubcos have closed
• 12 Mar 2009 - 30,000 people support local pubs
• 04 Mar 2009 - Record number of pubs closing
• 02 Mar 2009 - New poll shows public are backing local pubs
• 10 Feb 2009 - Over 100 MPs back the great British pub
• 27 Jan 2009 - Beer sales down by 8.3%
• 28 Nov 2008 - Axe the beer tax campaign launches

Click here to submit a comment!

Have your say!

To comment on this article, simply enter your name and email and send us your views. Please note that your comment will appear publicly below this article once it has been processed. For enquiries please email info@eatoutmagazine.co.uk.