Cheers! Rowen votes against beer tax increase

Date published: 07 July 2009

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has today voted against raising beer tax in British pubs.

In a key vote supporting the British pub industry, the MP voted for an amendment to the Finance Bill, which will halt the decision to increase the tax on beer.

In April, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, announced that the Government would be continuing with plans to increase the Beer Tax by 2% above inflation.

The announcement was met by fierce criticism from the public, pub landlords, consumer groups and MPs from across the political spectrum.

Critics point out the measure will do nothing to help the Great British Pub and will only speed up its demise.

Paul Rowen MP said, “The British pub used to be at the heart of the community and wasadmired by observers from across the globe for the community spirit it helped to foster.

"Here in Rochdale, the amount of pubs still open is the smallest for decades.

“Having recently carried out a survey of pub landlords in Rochdale, it is clear that landlords are hugely frustrated with the continued barriers put in front of them.”