Grogan says Tony Blair is a beer snob

Tony Blair has been accused of having a snobby attitude to beer after saying that it is only served at official receptions when "appropriate". The Prime Minister was re-sponding to a question from MP John Grogan, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, who has laid down an Early Day Motion calling on the Government to offer beer to visitors to help showcase Britain. In a curt, official reply, he was told 10 Downing Street served beer and soft drinks "as appropriate". Grogan said: "It's a very ambiguous answer. Is he saying it is appropriate to serve beer to the rugby team but not to foreign diplomats? It indicates they are not taking it seriously enough, and it's our job to make them do so. But it will be a long, hard slog to get rid of this snobbery. "Last week I was at the German embassy and they gave us German beer." He added Britain should be serving British beer. The Foreign Office has said beer is only served on request; the Home Office says it is offered "as appropriate"; while the De-partment of Trade & Industry says the decision is based on the "nature and format" of the function being held. The campaign was launched after MPs complained French wine was offered at official functions at the expense of local produce, and they felt embarrassed asking for beer. There has so far been support from 52 MPs for the EDM.