Thousands of pub jobs could go if ministers don’t slash beer tax, campaigners warn
An inflationary increase could add an extra 5p to every pint could put off pub-goers even more, driving more of Britain's much loved drinking holes to close
THOUSANDS of pub jobs could be lost if ministers don't slash hated duties on beer, campaigners warned today.
Chancellor Philip Hammond is rumoured to be eyeing up more fuel and booze rises to pay for the £20billion Theresa May promised for the NHS.
An inflationary increase would add an extra 5p to every pint that could put off pub-goers even more - driving more of Britain's much loved drinking holes to close.
Ministers are believed to be considering lifting the popular freeze on alcohol duty covering beer, wine, cider and spirits announced in last autumn’s budget.
Brigid Simmons, the Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, told The Sun Online: "Between 2008 and 2013 when the beer duty escalated, the hated tax saw 5,000 pubs close and we lost 58,000 jobs.
"An inflationary increase later this year could lose in the region of 3,000 jobs". She is behind a new campaign urging the chancellor to slash taxes for hard-pressed pubs.
On top of that, pubs are subject to excruciatingly high business rates too, which is clobbering them further.
And she said as Britain gears up to leave the EU, it would be a huge boost for British produce to encourage more to go down their local and have a pint.
Ms Simmons added: "This is a British manufacturing industry. As we get closer to Brexit, the Chancellor should support the 900,000 British jobs in the beer industry already.
"Pubs are something that's so important to people's mental health, well being and their local communities."
And she warned: "It's important the government have the backing of consumers - especially when you have a Government that doesn't really have a majority."
And Tory MP Nigel Evans agreed - telling The Sun that "alarm bells should be ringing in No11" at the news that three pubs are shutting every day due to the pressures.
He said: "By putting tax up you could end up having less money to spend on the NHS. It would be absolute false economy, which could damage the NHS, not help it.
"Cutting duty on beer means more people will go pubs and more people will drink beer - that reinforces jobs, the local economies, and keeps pubs open."
Model and landlord Jodie Kidd is driving the campaign to try and reverse that trend today, and is urging supporters to lobby the Government to cutting the taxes.
Ms Kidd said: "The role of pubs has never been more diverse, with two in three saying they are a social centre and bring the community together.
"Pubs play a vital role in our culture and communities."
The 'Long Live the Local' campaign and the British Beer Alliance say pubs and brewers add £23billion to the economy every year - and contribute £13billion in tax.
What's happened to alcohol duties in the past few years?
March 2012: Alcohol duties hiked by 2%
March 2013 - Spring Budget: Price of a pint cut but wine got 10p more pricy and spirits up 53p on average
March 2014 - Spring Budget: George Osborne cut the price of beer for the second year running and froze duties on whisky and cider. He also ditched the above-inflation escalator which increased duties by 2% above RPI
March 2015 - Spring Budget: Ministers slashed duties on beer, spirits and low-strength cider by 2%, taking a penny off the average pint
March 2016 - Spring Budget: Osborne froze alcohol duty on beer, spirits and most ciders, but the cost of wines and higher strength ciders took a hike
November 2017 - Autumn Statement: Alcohol duty frozen on beer, wine and spirits
July 2018: Fears that Chancellor Philip Hammond could raise fuel duties again to help pay for the £20bn NHS boost
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Officials are frantically scrabbling around to find ways to raise cash to pay for the NHS cash splurge which can’t all be funded by borrowing.
They estimate the move, which would put up beer in line with inflation (currently 3.1 per cent) would raise billions in extra cash for the Treasury.
Britain's alcohol is among the most heavily taxed in the world - with the third highest duty rate for wine, and fourth-highest for spirits.
Last year it was revealed that Brits pay FOURTEEN times more tax on a pint of beer than the Germans.
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