Matthew has joined calls for a freeze on beer duty in the March Budget by sending a special ‘message in a barrel’ to the Chancellor at an event in Parliament.
The hand-crafted oak barrel, an iconic symbol of Britain’s world-renowned brewing and pub industry, is a reminder of how important brewing and pubs are to the Hendon constituency, said Matthew.
The barrel, with its calls for a freeze in beer duty, was later delivered to the Treasury by MPs and representatives of the British Beer & Pub Association, CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) and SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers).
Beer duty has risen by an unprecedented 42 per cent since March 2008. The result of this has been falling beer sales and hundreds of pub closures in recent years.
Matthew commented: “I strongly support calls for a duty freeze, and I hope the Chancellor will listen. Further tax hikes will close more pubs and cost more jobs in the Hendon constituency.
Brigid Simmonds Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, which organised today’s event, adds: “I want to thank Matthew for championing beer and pubs in Hendon. Beer tax hikes are not raising more revenues for the Government, and with a duty freeze we can create many more local jobs.”