Beer duty rise 'a tragedy'

Beer duty rise 'a tragedy'

Shepherd Neame has 368 pubs across the South East

Britain's oldest independent brewery, based in Kent, has called the increase in beer duty in Wednesday's Budget 'a tragedy'.

Shepherd Neame, based in Faversham, said the only winners from Gordon Brown's decision to add 1p to beer duty would be the smugglers.

Managing director of the brewery Jonathan Neame, said: "This is a tragedy. It will make little if any difference to duty revenues, which have risen just as fast in the recent duty freeze as they did when duty rates were increased."

Mr Neame said the increase would reduce the chancellors other revenues such as employment taxes because pubs would have to lay off staff or close.

It is a duty hike too far

Jonathan Neame

He added: "In short this unwarranted increase will leave less money for schools and hospitals, not more.

"The only winners will be the smugglers and the French treasury who already collect duty and VAT on the million pints brought in from Calais every day."

"It is a duty hike too far, a duty hike which makes no economic sense."

Shepherd Neame has 368 pubs throughout the South East.