MPs awarded ‘Beer Champions’ for pub industry support
The special award is a joint initiative from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).
The three organisations wanted to recognise the role of MPs who supported the British beer industry during 2013, especially for the their support in scrapping the Beer Duty Escalator.
The methodology used to select the 100 MPs recognised acts of advocacy in Parliament, in votes, supportive motions, and debates.
Recognition
Campden BRI created the special limited-edition bottled beer for Parliament. The beer was brewed by Ed Wray, Campden BRI’s brewer and maltster at the company’s brewing division in Nutfield, Surrey.
Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “MPs of all parties made a huge difference in achieving the historic duty cut in 2013, and deserve our thanks and recognition.
"We are delighted to honour this achievement in the best way possible – with a great new beer. I hope even more MPs will join calls for a duty freeze in this year’s Budget on 19 March.”
Valuable support
Mike Benner, chief executive of CAMRA, said: “This reward recognises the invaluable support given by MPs to the campaign to scrap the beer duty escalator.
"These top 100 MPs played a major role in drawing attention to the harm caused by tax increases totaling 42 per cent over four years. Major highlights of the campaign were the full Parliamentary debate on the 108,000 signature e-petition and CAMRA’s first ever lobby day where 1,200 campaigners visited Parliament to lobby for a fair deal for beer."
Punitive tax
SIBA chairman Keith Bott said: “The small, local brewers, who make up the bulk of SIBA’s membership, applauded the scrapping of the Beer Duty Escalator last year.
"With the removal of this punitive tax, which had undermined their ambitions for so many years, brewers could start to feel more confident about the future of the UK’s brewing industry, and are now able to make long term business plans, confident that the Government wants them, and the pubs they supply, to thrive.
"We are enormously grateful to the MPs whose support for British beer made our quest for fairer beer taxation a reality, and are delighted that 100 of them are being recognised today as Parliamentary Beer Champions."
