MPs and celebrities rally in support of the Great British pub and oppose plans to increase Beer Tax
The beer and pub industry today warned there are only "48 hours to save the British pub" in advance of Wednesday's Budget. The industry, MPs and celebrities including Al Murray - the Pub Landlord and Adele Silva (Emmerdale's Kelly Windsor) are urging the Chancellor not to increase Beer Tax any further on Wednesday.
The warning came at an 'Axe the Beer Tax - Save the Pub' campaign event this morning at the Red Lion pub in Westminster only yards from HM Treasury. A cross party delegation of MPs then presented a signed giant postcard to No.10 Downing Street to protest at the Government's plans to increase Beer Tax again.
The campaign - jointly sponsored by the Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and Camra, the Campaign for Real Ale - has won 70,000 supporters since it was launched late last year.
In 2008, the Government increased Beer Tax by 18% and it has plans to increase it further by 2% above the rate of inflation for the next four years starting on Wednesday.
Since last year's budget, more than 2,000 pubs have shut their doors for the last time, resulting in more than 20,000 job losses. Pubs are currently closing at a record rate of 39 a week, almost 6 every day. Independent research by Oxford Economics forecasts that a further 60,000 jobs in the beer and pub sector are at risk over the next five years if the Government's tax escalator plans go ahead.
In recent surveys by independent pollsters ComRes, 70% of the public and 59% of all MPs - including 41% of Labour backbenchers - opposed increases in Beer Tax in the current economic conditions. 90% of people believe that the Chancellor should be seeking to reduce or freeze taxes in this week's budget.
Speaking at the event, David Long, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said:
"The budget is just two days away. There are 48 hours to save the pub. Mr Darling must listen to the majority of the public and MPs and recognise that increasing beer tax at this time is wholly unjustified and to do so will be to sign a death warrant for thousands more pubs."
Mike Benner, chief executive of CAMRA, said:
"In addition to the 18% increase in beer tax last year, the Government appears committed to punishing responsible pub-goers with a 2% above inflation rise in beer tax in Wednesday's budget. A decision to abandon this insane, inflation-busting tax escalator and freeze beer tax are key remedies for preventing what has previously been described as a 'bloodbath' of pub closures across the land."
Today's launch of 'Axe the Beer Tax, Save the Pub' also featured a photocall with Emmerdale star, Adele Silva, who was brought up in a pub, who lent her support by pulling pints for MPs and other special guests. Adele said:
"My Mum and Dad ran pubs in south London when I was growing up, so I know just how important they are to local communities. We need to do everything we can to save the Great British pub and putting up tax again is not the right way of going about it".
