Senior ministers celebrate beer duty escalator scrap

Secretary of state for communities and local government Eric Pickles popped into the Campaign for Real Ale  (CAMRA) event which was held at the Red Lion pub in Westminster. He was joined by a raft of ministers including community pubs minister Brandon Lewis and Treasury minister Sajiv  Javid.

The event was hosted by All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group chairman and MP for Burton Andrew Griffiths who said: “We are here to celebrate the scrapping of the hated beer duty escalator and the cutting of beer duty for the first time since 1959.

“We should not underestimate what we achieved in scrapping that beer duty escalator. We should pay thanks to organisation such as SIBA and the British Beer & Pub Association that worked so hard in delivering this.

“We should thank all members of Parliament across all sides of the house who worked together unified because they recognised the damage the beer duty escalator was having on pubs and brewers in their constituencies.

“I am convinced this campaign would not have been won without the herculean efforts of the CAMRA organisation and all the CAMRA members.”

He said he believed there were two crucial events which helped the fight for the scrapping of the escalator. The debate in Parliament, which was prompted by the e-petition which gained over 100,000 signatures and the mass rally in Parliament.

CAMRA also launched its new beer mat campaign at the event to celebrate the scrapping of the beer duty escalator.

Licensees can order free publicity packs (including both posters and beer mats) by visiting www.camra.org.uk/beertaxwin