Parliamentary debate over beer duty escalator moves step closer as petition closes in on 100,000 signatures

A concerted push by the trade during the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA’s) Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) fuelled a 10,000-signature boost to nearly 85,000.

The petition needs to top 100,000 to force a debate on the issue in the House of Commons.

More than 1,000 signed petitions were sent back to CAMRA after an insert was placed in the Publican’s Morning Advertiser last month.

The beer-duty escalator, which was introduced in 2008 by former Chancellor Alistair Darling, puts up the tax on a pint by 2% above inflation every year, which has resulted in a 42% tax hike since 2008.

The company that originally launched the petition, Wychwood Brewery, brought its Hobgoblin character to the GBBF to urge festival-goers to back the e-petition, along with CAMRA staff.

CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner said: “Getting people to sign up to the e-petition at the GBBF has been a great success.

“It is that last big push from the industry that will get us the signatures we need.

“People have been willing to sign because they agree it is not fair and are sick and tired of seeing pubs closing around them.

“The whole idea is to force a parliamentary debate and get that ball moving sooner rather than later.”
British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: “This is fantastic news. We now need to redouble our efforts to motivate more consumers to back our campaign.

“BBPA’s members want to ensure all beer drinkers have the chance to voice support for our campaign to abolish the duty escalator.

“It is vital that we cross the 100,000 line early to hope to secure a debate before the next Budget.”

Andrew Griffiths, MP for Burton and chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, said: “We are tantalisingly close to achieving a historic debate in Parliament.

“Congratulations to all at CAMRA, the brewing industry and publicans in their efforts to make this e-petition a top priority.

“If we can now get over the line in the next few weeks it is then up to us as MPs to use our political power to get this damaging beer-duty escalator stopped.”

Sign the petition here: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29664​