Confusion reigned today in the media over the budget coverage when the Chancellor announced that there was to be no change in the alcohol duty set by his predecessor. The BBC took this to mean that alcohol duty was not going up, this is of course a falsehood as the Beer Duty Escalator, set up by 'Eyebrows' Darling, remains in place so Beer Duty is going up:
Inflation (4%) + Escalator (2%) = 6% increase on beer duty
Have just been informed that RPI not CPI inflation is used so its actually only 3.7% but we all know these things are rounded up
The South Wales Argus tweeted "No change to duty rates on alcohol", proving its not just the BBC who get these things wrong.
Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive, said, ‘The fact Britons are forced to pay over 40% of the EU beer tax bill, but consume only 13% of the beer sold in Europe, is remarkable. British beer in a pub is so heavily hit with duty and VAT, the tax man’s whirlwind hikes translate to him guzzling a third of every pint served, a shadow cast over the beer drinker depriving people of an affordable night down their local.
‘Such high taxes on beer are totally unsustainable, and therefore CAMRA is launching a consumer fight back in a bid to make the Government see sense. We today urge all beer drinkers to visit this site to get behind this new industry-backed e-petition to help safeguard the future of the beer and pub industry.’
Before the budget announcement on Beer Duty, George Osborne mentioned that the Government has an alcohol review strategy coming out later this year - expect more Draconian price controls in that with the introduction of minimum pricing, favoured by the prohibitionists alcohol concern and other such fake charities.
1 comment:
I seem to remember the same trick being pulled last year, and many in the media falling for it.
Any why is it that alcohol duties are increased by RPI, but pensions and benefits by the lower CPI figure?
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