Six out of 10 MPs against Budget beer tax rise

By James Wilmore

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Beer tax Public house Chancellor

Six out of 10 MPs are against plans to increase beer tax in next week's Budget, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by pollsters ComRes,...

Six out of 10 MPs are against plans to increase beer tax in next week's Budget, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by pollsters ComRes, showed 59 per cent of MPs are opposed to an increase, while 61 per cent want government action to support the pub as part of local communities.

Alcohol tax is due to rise by two per cent above inflation next week, in line with Alistair Darling's plans announced in last year's Budget.

The poll, released by the 'Axe the Beer Tax - Save the Pub' campaign, also showed 41 per cent of Labour backbench MPs oppose a tax increase.

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame, told a Westminster press conference: "This poll shows the Chancellor will be over-riding the majority of the Commons if he increases beer tax - as well as the majority of voters and consumers.

"The economic facts have changed dramatically for the worse since he announced last spring his intention to increase beer tax above inflation year by year.

"The case for beer tax increases - which we always contested - has been swept away by the recession. The beer and pubs trade has suffered one of its worst years ever.

"Our message to the Chancellor is - don't kick this great traditional industry when it is down. When the facts change, change your mind. And rarely have the economic facts changed so fast."

More than 202 MPs, including 97 Labour backbenchers, have already signed a parliamentary motion supporting the campaign after 25,000 members of the public emailed their MP.

Mike Benner, chief executive of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale), said: "It is clear that the majority of MPs are in the same place as the majority of consumers - they don't want further damage done to pubs by further tax increases.

"We are not asking for special favours, only for a reprieve from an unnecessary and unjustifiable tax rise.

"The Chancellor needs to recognise the scale of the threat to the traditional pub as more and more close with every month of recession."

The poll by ComRes shows that MPs agree by a margin of 6-1 that the government should take action to support the British pub as a vital part of social life in communities.

Dr Richard Muir, senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, and author of a recent study of community pubs, 'The Social Value of Community Pubs', said: "MPs realise that pubs are more than businesses, they have an important role to play in communities.

"The government should not under-estimate the value of what is lost to community life when the local pub closes."

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