The recession and cheap deals in supermarkets put paid to any hope of a duty freeze on beer at last week's Budget — that's the view of one senior trade chief.
British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) chief executive Brigid Simmonds said the trade had "spoken to a lot of the right people" and made a "compelling case" but had been left empty handed because of the economic and political situation.
"It was a very tight Budget and I believe in any other economic circumstances, we stood a chance of being looked upon more favourably," said Simmonds.
She added: "There are two problems we have to face up to and the first is that pubs are part of the alcohol industry and there are still issues around alcohol. We have to tackle those in partnership.
"The second problem is the supermarkets are still selling alcohol cheaply and, however you look at it, a beer tax freeze or drop effects the price of alcohol in the supermarkets as well as pubs."
The BBPA boss vowed the fight on beer taxation would continue. "We shouldn't stop fighting — since 2008 we have had a 35% increase in duty. That is crippling."
She believes that independent research by Oxford Economics, which showed a duty freeze could have saved more than 10,000 jobs and generated £40m in extra tax revenue for the Government, was the right path to take. "The recession got to us rather than anything else."
Far removed
Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish said: "The message was clearer and more sophisticated as it was about jobs and business.
"It was probably a seven or eight out of 10 for lobbying and a two or a three for the result, because there were some small positives for small businesses."
Helen Ellwood, owner of the Poachers Inn in Bollington, Cheshire, said: "I think a lot of people in Government are so far removed from real life they don't know what is going on.
"What we need is someone with clout and a voice to stand up for us, maybe a minister, who has insight into the trade and realises this is killing us off."