Duty Escalator

Anti-duty lobbyists meet Treasury minister to crank up campaign

12-Feb-2014 By Helen Gilbert

Campaigners calling for the Alcohol Duty Escalator (ADE) to be scrapped met with the economic secretary to the Treasury last week to ramp up their crusade.

TaxPayers' Alliance chief calls for duty escalator to be scrapped

20-Jan-2014 By Lewis Brown

The new chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance has urged Chancellor George Osborne to scrap the alcohol-duty escalator, which he said is causing damage to pubs.

The duty regime is stacked against beer innovation

21-Feb-2013 By Rob Willock

The PMA’s Beer Innovation Summit took place at St George’s Park in Burton-on-Trent (the new home of England football) last week, and attracted an audience of nearly 200 delegates, keen to hear about the ‘next big thing’ in beer.

The Treasury is killing the pub trade golden goose

28-Jan-2013 By Publican Sam

So beer consumption is down yet again, with the BBPA reporting that 138 million less pints were consumed in the last quarter of 2012 than the same period in 2011. Pub trade consultant Publican Sam considers the implications.

Anti-tie brigade could learn a thing or two from beer duty campaign

12-Dec-2012 By Pete Brown

When I worked in advertising, my life was full of smug aphorisms and parables. Creative directors especially loved to throw out comments that seemed unarguable, and then sit back like some coke-fuelled Buddha and watch you squirm.

Media support of beer duty campaign is reason for optimism

08-Nov-2012 By John harrington

At times, campaigning against the beer-duty escalator has felt like pushing a beer keg uphill. Politicians and the national media have long paid lip service to the importance of pubs and breweries and the impact of taxes, but in truth there’s been little...

Beer duty escalator petition finally crosses the finish line

20-Sep-2012 By Rob Willock

Phew — we’re finally there (or thereabouts)! Getting 100,000 signatures on the petition against the alcohol duty escalator was somewhat harder than we thought it would be when Marston’s Wychwood brewery first pitched the idea to us at the start of the...

The beer-duty escalator: my final thoughts

09-May-2012 By Pete Brown

This is going to be my last column on the duty escalator for a little while. It’s not that the issue is going away — far from it. I just don’t want to turn into one of those zealots you start trying to avoid.

Black Sheep disappointed at Budget ‘double whammy’

26-Mar-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Jo Theakston, marketing director at Black Sheep Brewery, estimated that the business will have to pay an extra £400,000 in duty — last year it paid £7.5m on a turnover of £19m.

CAMRA defends call on duty escalator petition

26-Mar-2012 By Adam Pescod

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has hit back at criticism levied against it by leading beer writer and PMA columnist Pete Brown for delaying its support for a petition against the beer duty escalator.

Budget 2012: Pub industry condemns beer duty rise

21-Mar-2012 By Adam Pescod

Pub companies and trade groups have expressed their dismay at the Chancellor’s decision to maintain the alcohol duty escalator in the 2012 budget, which has resulted in a 5% rise in duty - to come into force at midnight on Sunday.

Sign here. Now. To save pubs

16-Mar-2012 By Pete Brown

Among the many strengths and weaknesses we have in this industry, one thing we’re absolutely brilliant at is moaning. We’re world-class moaners. Every week, the pages of this magazine are full of people complaining about stuff.

Tuppen: Supermarkets may need to be "bullied"

18-Nov-2011 By Adam Pescod

Supermarkets may need to be “bullied” into adopting a responsible pricing strategy on alcohol according to Enterprise Inns chief executive Ted Tuppen.

Budget 2011: Trade groups speak out against 'hammer blow'

23-Mar-2011 By James Wilmore

The fight to end the duty escalator will continue despite the knockback in today's Budget, the British Beer & Pub Association has vowed. Chief...

Inflation rise sparks last-ditch call to stop duty escalator

22-Mar-2011 By James Wilmore

The increase in inflation has sparked a last-ditch call for the Chancellor to ditch the Budget duty escalator, with a warning it will add 4p to a...

More than 100 MPs call for duty escalator to be 'suspended'

21-Mar-2011 By James Wilmore

More than 100 MPs are backing calls by the industry for the Chancellor to "suspend" the duty escalator for 2011 in Wednesday's Budget. An early day...

Licensees fear a Budget duty blow

17-Mar-2011 By Graham Ridout

Leading licensees are not holding out hope for a duty reprieve in next week's Budget, despite pleas from the trade to abandon the duty escalator....

Trade groups demand scrapping of duty escalator

04-Feb-2011 By Matt Eley Matt

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is urging the government to freeze beer tax to give the industry a boost at the Budget next month. The...

CAMRA proposes levy on off-trade sales

10-Sep-2010 By James Wilmore

CAMRA has urged the government to consider a levy on bottles and cans of alcohol sold in the off-trade. The proposals have come in the group's...

Duty escalator is extended until 2015

24-Mar-2010 By James Wilmore

The government has extended its controversial alcohol duty escalator until 2015, it has emerged in today's Budget. Chancellor Alistair Darling...

Darling should scrap duty escalator, says survey

23-Mar-2010 By Matt Eley Matt

Two out of three people want Chancellor Alistair Darling to scrap the duty escalator in tomorrow's Budget. A survey of 1,000 people by ComRes, on...

Fuller's: Chancellor must dump duty escalator

29-Jan-2009 By Ewan Turney

Fuller's claims last year's 17.8% rise in duty has had a "devastating" effect on the pub industry.