St Austell MP urges Government to do a ‘Proper Job’ and cut beer duty

21-Feb-2017 - Last updated on 21-Feb-2017 at 15:45 GMT

Drop: MP Steve Double is appealing for a cut in beer duty

St Austell Brewery has called on a local MP to join the campaign led by the British Beer & Pub Association, Campaign for Real Ale and Society of Independent Brewers for a further cut in beer duty.

Steve Double, St Austell and Newquay MP, has backed pleas from trade bodies to the Government for beer duty to be cut.

He said: “I wholeheartedly support calls for the Government to do a ‘Proper Job’ and drop duty on British beer ahead of this year’s Budget in March.

“I was recently privileged to spend the day as a brewer at St Austell Brewery and have seen, first hand, its importance as an employer here in mid Cornwall."

Brewing industry cannot be underestimated

He added: “On a wider level, as vice chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, the importance of the brewing industry to those it employs directly and its wider supply chain cannot be underestimated.”

Thanks to three one penny cuts and last year’s freeze in the past four Budgets, the Government claims beer duty is now 17% lower than it would have been under tax rises previously planned through the previous government’s beer duty escalator.

The escalator increased beer tax by a huge 42% and led to the closures of more than 7,000 pubs alongside 58,000 jobs, according to St Austell Brewery.

Beer taxes 'still too high'

However, despite recent cuts, UK beer taxes remain among the highest in Europe.

St Austell CEO James Staughton welcomed the MP’s support for the campaign to cut beer duty.

“Beer and pubs are vital to our local economy and jobs, especially for young people, and beer taxes are still far too high so it is fantastic to have his voice on board and we hope it will help to steer things in the right direction.”