70% of the cost of a bottle of Scotch is tax.
NOW IS THE TIME TO REFORM THE ALCOHOL DUTY SYSTEM TO SUPPORT OUR GREAT SPIRITS INDUSTRY.
The UK spirits industry has been a national success story over recent years, investing heavily in innovation and growth to back the British economy and support new jobs.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic and its after effects have caused considerable pain to our world renowned hospitality industry, with our iconic national drinks like gin and whisky facing a difficult trading environment due to this historic event.
We thank the Chancellor for freezing spirits duty at this Budget, which will support small distillers across the UK. The Government is now consulting on its Alcohol Duty proposals, which they promised would support ‘Scotch and gin producers’ at the Queen’s Speech in 2019.
We now need the Government to deliver on that commitment and back British spirits.
Our supporters include micro businesses and craft distilleries, award-winning producers and internationally renowned brands.
We are also joined by representatives from the hospitality and tourism industries. Members of our Alliance all benefit from the growing popularity of premium British spirits.
Last year, independent research showed spirits generated £13bn for the economy and had an export value of £6 billion– making it the largest food and drink export.
The number of distilleries in the UK has grown over 700 and the industry now supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the UK.
That is why we are asking the Chancellor to deliver on the commitment the Prime Minister made at the 2019 Queen’s Speech to reform the alcohol duty system and to back our great Scotch Whisky and gin producers.
The growth in the spirits industry hasn’t happened by chance, the innovation and investment of distillers across the UK has backed the economy, jobs and provided record revenues to HMT. We now need the Government to support this vital industry and jobs across the UK.
The UK is a proud spirits producing nation.
Our spirits industry is a vital part of the tourism and hospitality sector. We can’t afford to put this great British success story at risk.
That’s why we are asking the Chancellor to ensure that the Government’s recently published Alcohol Duty Review proposals really do create a fairer system that supports British spirits, small distillers and UK consumers.
