Licensee unveils election manifesto
Licensee Joe Duthie, who is standing as an independent candidate in the General Election, has unveiled his manifesto.
Mr Duthie, who is licensee of the Bennet Arms in Semley, Dorset, has formed the Lower Excise Duty Party in an attempt to highlight the issue of high beer duty and bootlegged alcohol.
He said he got the idea of standing following the petrol crisis last autumn. He has written a manifesto and registered as a candidate in the North Dorset constituency, with the £500 deposit being paid by the West of England Licensed Trade Association (LTA).
"Excessive excise duties have encouraged widespread smuggling. It is time to take a stand," said Mr Duthie. He is proposing cutting excise duty on beer by 17p - taking it to 16p on a pint, less than half the 33p it currently stands at.
Other cuts in excise duty he wants to see include:
- wine down by 58p a bottle
- spirits down by £2 a bottle
- cigarettes down by £1.50 a packet.
But Mr Duthie, who will be standing against candidates from the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative parties, as well as one from the UK Independence Party, said he is disappointed at the lack of support he has received from the trade.
"The response has been incredibly disheartening," he said. "I wrote to all the trade bodies but received very few answers. My regional LTA put up the £500 deposit but the rest of the financial support I received from the whole UK industry was less than that amount. I would have thought it would be worth their support."
Despite the lack of support within the trade, Mr Duthie thinks local people have taken his concerns to heart."I've had no criticisms of my proposals," he said. "But whether that will translate into votes at the ballot box remains to be seen."
