Booze bosses demanding cut in alcohol tax at next ­Budget to ‘save pubs’ from more price rises

BOOZE bosses are demanding a cut in ­alcohol tax at the next ­Budget to “save our pubs” from more price rises.

The levy was hiked by 10.1 per cent a year ago.

The drinks industry has asked Chancellor Rachel Reeves to keep her election promise to protect boozers after she told The Sun, and our Save our Sups campaign: “Let’s back our landlords to keep our pubs going.”

Their analysis reckons the squeeze has actually cost the Treasury £132million in lost spirits revenue - with another further £35million set to slip away between now and the Budget.

Megha Khanna, of the UK Spirits Alliance, said “Cutting alcohol duty in the budget will not only raise the spirits of consumers and help pubs and distillers grow and create wealth – it will actually raise money for the Chancellor who has a serious financial blackhole to plug.”

Ordinary punters are paying the price of the steep tax rise, with Ben Marston from Puddlington Distillery saying: “The increase in excise duty was unfortunately something we had to pass on to our customers.”

Mark Kent, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association said: “A year on and it’s clear the 10.1 percent hike in excise duty on Scotch Whisky has been a disaster.

"It’s hurt business and penalised consumers.”

Ms Reeves said: “Brits love our locals.

“Let’s back our landlords to keep our pubs going.”