Boost for pubs after Chancellor freezes booze duty in autumn statement
Jeremy Hunt has announced a freeze to alcohol duty to help pubs and businesses in the run-up to the busy Christmas season.
The news from the Chancellor’s autumn statement means there will be no increase in duty on beer, cider, wine or spirits.
It will come as welcome news to cash-strapped Brits still struggling with the cost of living crisis.
Follow our live blog for latest updates on the Autumn Statement – and what it means for you
Mr Hunt said better-than-expected borrowing numbers meant the government could ease the pain on drinker’s wallets.
But after three years of the festive trade being blighted by Covid and strikes, the move is seen by critics as a Tory attempt to turn around their dire poll ratings.
Addressing the House of Commons, Mr Hunt said: ‘As well as confirming our Brexit Pubs Guarantee, which means duty on a pint is always lower than in the shops, I have decided to freeze all alcohol duty until August 1 next year.
‘That means no increase in duty on beer, cider, wine or spirits.’
Mr Hunt also announced the 75% business rates discount for hospitality, retail and leisure is being extended for another year, at a cost of £4.3billion which will benefit pubs.
The government hit its target of annual borrowing not exceeding 3% of GDP in five years.
But public sector borrowing figures show they were at £98 billion between April and October – £22 billion more than the same time last year.
The news also comes as Mr Hunt announced a cut to National Insurance for 28 million employed and self-employed workers and a boost of the living wage to £11.44 per hour.
This is a pay rise of more than a pound for three million of the lowest-paid workers.
A 1% cut would be worth £380 a year to someone earning more than £50,000 but would cost the government in the region of £5 billion.
Mr Hunt said ahead of the statement today: ‘Next April all full-time workers on the National Living Wage will get a pay rise of over £1,800 a year.
‘That will end low pay in this country, delivering on our manifesto promise. The National Living Wage has helped halve the number of people on low pay since 2010, making sure work always pays.
‘I will be setting out a plan for the economy packed with ideas for our long-term growth.’
The Treasury has vowed to ‘turbo-charge economic growth in the UK, while cutting taxes and continuing to bring down inflation’.
Benefit payments have also been cut for hundreds of thousands of people with mobility and health issues up and down the UK unless they can do their work from home.
Leading disability charity Sense warned the plans risk punishing disabled people who would be put under ‘more pressure to find work’ without the support to do so.
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