Darling invokes wrath of cidermakers

In the last few gasps of this fag-end Government, the hopeless Chancellor of the Exchequer and badger lookalike Alaistair Darling presented what will hopefully be the last Labour Budget for a very long time. Not content with the 4000 pub closures we have seen in the last two years, the champagne-socialist Darling further increased the duty on alcohol, with a 10% + inflation duty incrase on cider. Yes, that's correct, on that most traditional of British drinks that is still produced in traditional manners will now see the price increase from Sunday. Not content with being banned from the majority of pubs in the UK in previous years, darling now seems content to being banned from all cider farms in the UK as well.


Needless to say, cidermakers are not too happy about this and a few expletives were mentioned when Brew Wales spoke to some of them earlier today. Denis Gwatkin of Gwatkin Cider said, "This tax rise will hit us all, from the pickers, the growers, the medium-sized producers such as myself right up to the big producers such as Bulmers and Westons. having already ruined the pub trade, the Government now wants to ruin the producers". Denis also went on to call the Chancellor a "Fing bastard" a statement many of us are agreeing with today.

LABOUR TO BE EXTERMINATED AT ELECTION

Denis and friend extend a warm welcome to Alaistair Darling should he happen to visit Abbey Dore in the future

Meanwhile in Wales, Bill George of Gwynt Y Ddraig Cider, Wales' largest producer of craft ciders and perry said, "This tax on cider is a very short-sighted view, we contribute over £100,000 a year to the economy in duty and now the champagne-socialist Darling wants customers to pay a higher price for our products just so that Members of Parliament can have another plasma TV screen on expenses. This budget is doing nothing for the economy or for businesses in this recession".

Other comments from cidermakers today described Alaistar Darling as "a dirty whore", "scumbag" etc.

So well done Darling, that's the rural vote well and truly in the bag. Now piss off back to Jockland and never screw up our country again.

Darling closes more pubs

After the "pre-budget report" which in truth is just spin so that the Government can raise taxes twice a year, we have seen another duty increase. At this rate, in a few years time all we will have to drink in will be Superpubs. Yes, we have a 2.5% cut in VAT so we can all go out and buy Chinese electrical goods for Christmas but this is being paid for by an 8% increase in alcohol duty. This means that this year, we have seen an increase in alcohol duty by 17%. Now if you are a teetotal bible-bashing Jock living in Downing Street this is not going to effect you, especially when you're already banned from every pub in the country (something Alastair Darling has in common with gypsies), but for the average pub goer this is another hit in the wallet.

According to Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive, “The Chancellor's refusal to allow beer drinkers to benefit from a VAT reduction means that 7,500 pubs could close by the end of 2012. The Government's failure to support pubs will undermine community life, ruin livelihoods and deprive people of an affordable night out at a local pub.”

Whilst Shepherd Neame boss Jonathan Neame said before the budget"The Chancellor would be guilty of “gross cultural vandalism” if he did not cut duty on beer in his Pre-Budget Report to help save community pubs".

So under Labour our pubs are being destroyed.

Also check out the Drinkers Alliance, who have this online petition:

A message from the Drinkers' Alliance follows:

Drinkers will be paying the price for bailing out the economy thanks to this Government. The Chancellor has just announced that ordinary drinkers like you will be unfairly hit with even higher tax rises. The rates of duty for alcohol will be increased by 8 per cent, making the increase this year a whopping 17 per cent!

Click here to sign our petition to say no!

Despite a cut in VAT, the politicians have singled out alcohol as one of just a few items that will see no price relief at all. And even more, when the VAT cut is suspended, alcohol taxes will go even higher!

That means you'll pay more for your favourite drinks because the Chancellor doesn't think you'll fight back.

But we know you will. So sign the petition here:
http://www.drinkersalliance.com

And when you are done, ask five friends to sign up to the Drinkers Alliance. The more people we have signed up, the harder it is for politicians to ignore us.

Thank you for your support.

Drinkers Alliance

There are some very good points on the Publican site as well, link here
and of course Fido gives it a good report

Personally after this latest tax rise by the Government, no one in the right mind should be voting labour in the next General Election. The Labour Government have ruined our pubs, our economy and our country. My local MP is not even in Parliament at the moment, having dropped another sprog and is taking maternity leave again. Photo at the top of this page is the former Seven Styles, ex-Lliswerry, which was demolished last month and is in the constituency of Jessica Morden, sprog dropping new labour apologist and apparatchik and for Newport East.

Alastair Darling Beer Protest

Tuesday at the Great British beer festival saw CAMRA members protesting over Badger Darling's increase in Beer Duty.

Budget Price rise in Merthyr!

Seen on the wall of the Winchester pub in Merthyr Tydfil. 4 real ales on and the best place to drink for miles.




I've seen some souvenirs in pubs including the odd stags head but the coat of arms from the company that closed down the original Rhymney Brewery, now that's just being sarcastic.

Alaistair Darling gets banned.

So what do cigarettes, gypsies and Alaistair Darling all have in common?
Yes they are all banned from British pubs.

Support this campaign to get the magpie-like Chancellor banned from every pub in the UK. He's ruining our pub industry. Okay the tax hike in the budget won't actually hit him - he's more of a white wine spritzer drinker than real ale. Also if he is banned he still has the 15 or so bars in Parliament to drink in. After this last budget actually finding a pub that will still be open will be difficult enough.

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?articleid=59148

Budget 'Charter for smugglers and cheap suppermarket booze'

CAMRA slams inflation-busting beer duty increase as ‘a charter for smugglers and cheap supermarket booze’
Four penny tax increase will do nothing to curb binge drinking but will hit poorest the hardest

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has hit out at the Chancellor’s decision to increase beer duty by 4 pence a pint in today’s Budget, together with annual increases of 2% above inflation for the next four years. The consumer group claims that the increase will lead to at least 20 pence on a pint over the bar, fuelling pub closures and increasing unregulated drinking as more choose to drink at home or on the streets. This is the first time ever that beer tax has increased by 4 pence – a rise of 13%!

CAMRA recently announced that 57 pubs are lost permanently every month as the price differential between pubs and supermarkets widens. Pubs provide a regulated environment for people to enjoy alcohol socially and responsibly.

Mike Benner, Chief Executive of CAMRA said, “The Chancellor has failed to recognise that well-run community pubs are the solution to Britain’s binge drinking problems. This budget will do nothing to stop binge drinking, but it will lead to pub closures on a huge scale, widen the gap between supermarket and pub prices and encourage smuggling and cross-border shopping. It’s a great big nail whacked ruthlessly into the coffin of the British pub.”

The 90,000 strong consumer group has condemned the announcement that beer tax will increase above inflation for the next four years, despite what happens to UK pubs and the beer market.

Mike Benner added, “Pubs are defined as local services (1) yet this tax rise alongside other market pressures will accelerate closures to unprecedented levels. The budget shows a disregard for our national drink and for the 15 million people who enjoy it responsibly.

CAMRA called for a cut in beer duty in the Budget to help pubs compete with supermarket prices. CAMRA believes that supermarket prices of beer are unlikely to be affected significantly by the tax increase, but pubs as small businesses, will have no choice but to increase prices at the bar.

Latest survey on pubs prices released today

The latest survey of pub prices across Britain is also released by CAMRA today. It shows that real ale prices across the UK have increased by 4.6% in the last year and the average price of a pint now sits at £2.45. CAMRA claims that average post-budget pub prices will now hit at least £2.65 for real ale and £2.85 for lager.

Before Budget increases apply, the most expensive region for a pint is London at £2.64 for real ale and £2.84 for lager. The best value pint of real ale was in the North at £2.15, with the best value lager in the North West at £2.40.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

CAMRA’s annual survey of pub process was conducted between 24th January and 24th February 2008. Over 1,000 pubs were surveyed.

Key findings of the survey:

The average price of real ale rose by 11 pence to £2.45 – a 4.6% increase
The average price of lager rose by eight pence to £2.65 – a 3,3% increase
The highest price rises were in Scotland where real ale jumped by 7.8% to £2.55 a pint and lager by an inflation-busting 10.7% to £2.59 a pint
Average price of real cider has increased by 7% to £2.63, but this is still better value than keg ciders at £2.67 a pint
Real ales from Britain’s small independent brewers are the least expensive on average at £2.39 a pint

Full results of the survey are available at www.camra.org.uk/budget2008

CAMRA Pub Watch Survey shows that 57 pubs closed permanently in 2007 with 1567 closed with an uncertain future.

A summary of CAMRA’s Budget Submission to the Chancellor can be found at www.camra.org.uk/budget2008 together with diagrams of tax rates in the EU and percentage of beer sold in pubs compared to shops.

CAMRA Budget Hotline – 01727 798443

For more information:

CAMRA press office: 01727 798443
Mike Benner: 01727 798441 mob: 07971 591224
Head of Public Affairs Jonathan Mail: 01727 798448. mob: 07720 724733
Research and Information Manager Iain Loe: 01727 798449. mob: 07801 706607

(1) The Sustainable Communities Act 2007

Bootleg Budget

Today our badger-look alike Chancellor imposed a rise in the duty for beer of 4p a pint - this translates as almost 15p a pint when the customer pays for a pint over the bar. Or to put it another way, a small-scale brewery will be paying an extra £20k a year in revenue to the Government. A fantastic way to support our small businesses with a recession on the way.

If the storms were not so bad, you could see the white vans heading to Dover to stock up on cheap French booze. A bootleg budget like this will only benefit the ferry operaters, owners of Calais hypermarkets and the French alcohol industry. It does not benefit our pubs with almost 700 closing last year, it does not benefit our growing brewing industry and it does not benefit the customer who from Sunday will see an unjustified increase the cost of their pint.

Can you see any other country in Europe taxing and treating their businesses in this way?

And where is all this money raised from increasing the price of a pint? No doubt to buy more cans of Argentinian baked beans for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. This Government won't even support the farmers or food factories in this country by buying their produce to feed our troops so what chance does any food producer or brewery in this country have of Government support. Or the money will be going to Nothern Rock, in order to stop Labour MPs being voted out of their North East seats at the next election.

The result of this budget - the average beer drinker hit harder in the pocket and more pub closures. A budget for bootleggers and a bonus for the owners of foreign hypermarkets.

At least the chimp could not make such a bad job of being Chancellor as Darling does.