Axe the Tax set for re-launch to raise "political heat

A "new phase" of the Axe the Beer Tax - Save the Pub campaign will be launched next week to coincide with the Queen's Speech.

The aim of the re-launch is to "raise the political heat" around the issues pubs currently face.

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) initiative was launched last November to pressurise the government to re-think increases in alcohol tax.

But with Labour so far ignoring the industry's pleas, the campaign is being re-launched next Wednesday to step up the pressure.

Mark Hastings, the BBPA's communications director, said: "As part of the campaign we will be encouraging people to lobby MPs and to raise the political heat around the issues of pubs and beer tax, so the government will be under no illusions about how passionately people feel about the sector and the issues."

It is expected that the "Axe the Beer Tax" slogan will be dropped from the campaign, after new chief executive Brigid Simmonds admitted the message needed some "refinement".

The BBPA has also written to Alistair Darling ahead of the Pre-Budget report on December 9, arguing the case for the industry.

This includes a plea to reduce beer duty to its previous level when the VAT rate returns to 17.5 per cent in the New Year - and a call for no further announcements on alcohol duty.

Writing in The Times​ earlier this week, Simmonds warned: "Government coffers are under severe constraint, but with VAT due to go back up on January 1, the 6p increase in beer prices could accelerate pub closures, job cuts and that loss of community cohesion, which in this recession, the country can ill-afford to lose.

"This is something the government must address in the Pre-Budget Report."

Meanwhile, the BBPA is set to unveil a new policy manifesto on November 26 that will set out what it wants from government in relation to the sector.