Jane Stevenson, MP for Wolverhampton North East, has joined calls for a cut in beer duty ahead of the Budget next week.
She has signed a letter from nearly 50 Conservative MPs to the Chancellor, urging him to significantly cut beer duty over the course of the Parliament to support the pub industry which has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Research shows that beer sales fell by 56% last year, amounting to a £7.8 billion loss in sales.
More than 500,000 people have signed a petition by campaign group Long Live the Local also calling for a cut in beer duty to be announced. In the Wolverhampton North East constituency, brewing and pubs support 906 jobs and contribute £35.5 million to the economy.
Jane has consistently supported financial measures to assist pubs and hospitality businesses throughout the pandemic, and is a member of the All Party Beer Group in Parliament.
She said: “Pubs are at the heart of communities across Wolverhampton, and it has been a particularly difficult year for them as they have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic. That’s why I am supporting calls for a cut in beer duty to be announced at the Budget next week, to give our pubs a boost as they reopen their doors in a few weeks’ time.
“The Government has provided huge levels of financial support for the pub and hospitality sectors throughout the pandemic, which has been welcomed by pub landlords in my constituency. But with UK beer drinkers paying a higher tax compared to other countries, a cut in beer duty would help protect the sector and allow it to fully recover as quickly as possible.”
David Cunningham, Programme Director at the Long Live the Local campaign group, said: “Beer duty has increased by 60% over the last 17 years and now the UK has one of the highest rates of tax in Europe. When over two thirds of all alcoholic drinks purchased in the pub are beers, a cut in beer tax would go a long way to protecting pubs across Wolverhampton that have suffered so much in the last year. We are very grateful to Jane Stevenson MP for her support for the Long Live the Local campaign, and hope that the Government listens to MPs across Parliament and the thousands of people across the country who are calling for a cut in beer tax to protect our pubs.”
ENDS
