Spirits traders have urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak – who is MP for Richmond where Leeming-based Masons Gin resides – to lower the excise duty burden imposed on alcohol manufacturers.
It comes as figures released by the UK Spirits Alliance revealed the scale of Yorkshire’s role in the recent boom in gin production in Britain.
There are currently more than 18,500 people employed in the spirits industry in Yorkshire & the Humber, although many more still are involved in the beverage’s retail and supply, according to a report by BiGGAR Economics.
Founder Karl Mason said a reduction in the “excessively high” duty rate for spirits would help businesses grow further.
A Treasury spokesperson said: “We’ve saved drinkers and businesses over £5.2bn thanks to changes to alcohol duties we’ve made since 2013. We keep all taxes under review.”
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