Tories to cut tax on low-alcohol beers

The price of a pint of some beers and ciders could drop by 8p under Tory tax plans.

With all eyes on next week's Budget, Shadow chancellor George Osborne is set to unveil plans which would also see alcopops rise by 50p a bottle, a can of super-strength lager by 32p a can and a bottle of strong cider by £1.25.

The aim of the plan is to tackle binge-drinking but could also result in some cheaper drinks at the bar.

Osborne said the Treasury would not take in any extra revenue as a result of the changes, which would not hit "the vast majority of law-abiding, responsible drinkers".

Beers, such as Carling, John Smith's, Guinness and Stella Artois, and ciders like Strongbow and Magner's, wines and spirits, would not be affected by the measures.

Osborne said: "All the conversations I have had over the last year with police officers, supermarkets and those whose lives are made miserable by the behaviour of binge-drinkers have convinced me that we need to take targeted action against the super-strength drinks and alcopops favoured by young drinkers."

Alcohol Concern's director of policy, Don Shenker, said: "Strong cider, strong beer and alcopops are some of the cheapest and most problematic alcoholic drinks available in Britain. There's no doubt that measures of this kind will put a dent into teenagers' ability to buy and drink these products excessively."

However a spokeswoman for Alistair Darling said there was no provision in European law for a separate tax on alcopops.

Last year the Alcohol Health Alliance, a group of 24 health groups, proposed a 10 per cent tax rise on alcohol among a series of measures to tackle alcohol-related issues.