Ginger Rodent beer heads to the Commons

A beer named Ginger Rodent, for red-haired Liberal Democrat MP Danny Alexander will be available in the House of Commons bar, despite selling out its first run.

The chief secretary to the Treasury was first called a “ginger rodent” by deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman in 2010 and he then launched the beer at the Cairngorm Brewery last year.

Mr Alexander told the House of Commons that the beer would be available in its bar when responding to a question by fellow Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland.

Mr Mulholland, the MP for Leeds North West, urged the government to scrap the beer duty escalator during Treasury questions in the Commons.

He said: “I can give you good news – we now have 1,000 breweries in this country because of the explosion in micro breweries due to fairer, lower beer duty.

“Can we also have some joined-up thinking with the abolition in the Budget of the beer duty escalator, which simply doesn’t make sense?”

In his reply Mr Alexander said: “I certainly share your admiration for small micro breweries. One in my constituency produced a beer called Ginger Rodent, which has sold out of its first run. I look forward to more sales when that particular beer is in the House of Commons bar in June.

“As for the rest of your question, I take it as a Budget representation.”