The beer bottle labelled ‘Give Beer a Break’, says 45 per cent tax on beer is too much. Inside the bottle, the message calls for a freeze in beer duty, an end to the Government’s controversial beer tax ‘escalator’ and a rebalancing of alcohol taxation to encourage lower-strength, British-made drinks.
“I hope this grabs MPs’ attention,” says Brigid Simmonds, BBPA Chief Executive. “As our message says, the British beer and pub sector supports around a million jobs in the UK. Beer is a world class manufacturing industry and is at the heart of every pub. A freeze in beer duty in next month’s Budget would save around 16,000 jobs by 2015.
Mark Garnier, Conservative MP for Wyre Forest, said on Twitter he had received the bottle. He tweeted: "Received msg in a bottle today from BBPA. Worthwhile campaign. Am keen to support local pubs and breweries which are often under-appreciated."