'Beer duty rise 'spells death knell for pubs'

The brewing and pub industry said that the decision by the Chancellor to press ahead with plans for an above-inflation rise in beer duty had "signed the death warrant" of thousands of British pubs. Despite unprecedented lobbying from the industry in recent months, Alistair Darling stuck to the pledge he made last year to raise tax on alcohol by two per cent above inflation in each of the next four years - The Times​

The Chancellor was not finished with his tax squeeze on ordinary Brits — as he enraged the pub industry by ratcheting up the duty on booze from midnight. He put 1p on a pint of beer, 4p on a bottle of wine and 13p on a bottle of whisky. A pack of 20 cigs went up 7p. The British Beer and Pub Association had campaigned for no increases following last year's huge 18 per cent hike - The Sun​

Alistair's living in Wonderland: Darling refuses to cut spending, hits rich with 50p tax rate and pins his hopes on recovery fantasies.The Chancellor drove a stake through the heart of New Labour yesterday by stinging top earners with a new 50p tax rate. Experts said the move - resisted for a decade by Tony Blair - was largely symbolic - The Daily Mail ​

Pub companies that are already facing falling trade, higher alcohol duties, looming refinancing deadlines and falling property values can add another item to their worry list - pension liabilities. With the stock market in the doldrums and yields on government bonds declining, analysts say some of the country's largest pub operators could be facing sizeable increases in their pension fund liabilities - The Financial Times​

LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods group, has been quick to stamp out talk that it is about to sell its Moët Hennessy stake to Diageo. Bankers and analysts said its denial of current talks about selling the remainder of Moët to the UK-based drinks company, was carefully worded. The Paris-based group, controlled by Bernard Arnault, said it "denies reports in certain newspapers today that suggest the group is in discussions to divest Moët Hennessy, its Wines & Spirits division. LVMH confirms that no such negotiations are taking place" - The Financial Times​

Drug-dealers should be banned from pubs to alienate them from their local communities, Scotland's rank-and-file police officers demanded yesterday.Scottish Police Federation members backed a motion to deprive criminals of their "gang hut premises" and force licence holders to exclude them.Officers voted in favour of new legislation that would make it an offence for proprietors to allow convicted drug dealers in their pubs - The Scotsman​