Beer tax petition triggers Parliamentary debate

A petition calling for a debate on rising beer tax has reached the 100,000 signatures required to trigger a parliamentary debate.

The petition has been described as a “wake up call” for the government with campaigners saying that successive administrations have burdened the pub industry with damaging tax policies.

Since 2008 beer duty has risen by 42% and some 6,000 pubs have closed since that time.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has said before that a typical British pub is now paying £66,500 worth of duty and VAT on beer every year.

Furthermore, research from Oxford Economics appears to show that the policy is of little benefit to the government.

This year alone around 5,000 jobs will be lost because of the policy, while the £35 million that the Treasury collects is neutered by loss of revenue through job losses, lost VAT and other taxes.

BBPA chief executive, Brigid Simmonds, said: “Thanks to the huge numbers who are supporting the campaign, this should be a real wake-up call for the Government.

“I hope even more people will now sign, as further huge annual tax hikes must not go ahead. They are hurting pubs and destroying our ability to create much needed jobs.”