Denton MP Andrew Gwynne has signed a cross-party letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, urging him to back the UK's beer and pub industry in the upcoming budget.
The letter highlights the devastating impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the UK’s beer and pub industry. The sector is estimated to have lost more than £7 billion since the start of the pandemic. Recent data found that more than 1,000 pubs closed in the first half of 2021 alone – equating to five pubs every day.
The letter has been signed by over 60 parliamentarians and calls on the Treasury to implement an overall cut in Beer Duty to boost the struggling beer and pub industry. Britain currently pays more in beer duty each year than France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Ireland combined.
The campaign also urges the Government to lower business rates for pubs, and introduce a permanent lower level of VAT for all food and beverages sold in pubs. It estimates that a lower VAT rate of 12.5 per cent for food and drink sold in pubs and wider hospitality sector would generate over 100,000 jobs.
The beer and pub industry currently provides more than 930,000 jobs and contributes more than £26 billion to the UK economy.
Gwynne has long been a staunch supporter of the pub industry, and in 2015 was presented with the ‘Beer Champion’ Award by the team at the Hope Inn Stockport for his work with the pub and brewing sector, as well as in 2019 by the Beer and Pub Association.
Commenting on the letter, MP Gwynne said: "I’m really pleased that we’ve managed to get such a broad consensus across parliament on this really important campaign.
"I know just how hard local pubs have been impacted by the pandemic across Denton and Reddish, and why it is therefore vital that the Government gives the sector the support it needs to thrive.
"Pubs are important not just to the economy, but are also an integral part of our local communities.
"I hope that the Chancellor recognises this in his budget on Wednesday."
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