BBPA sends MPs message in a bottle to highlight high tax on beer

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has highlighted the high tax on beer ahead of next month's Budget by sending a message in a bottle to MPs.

The message warns of the dangers of another huge hike in the tax on beer this year.

The beer bottle, labelled "Give Beer a Break", says 45% 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," said 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."

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By Neil Gerrard

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