09/05/2009 21:40:44
Dunc
Administrator
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Darling Reveals Next Phase of Alcohol Duties.
Alistair Darling announced last week that the government’s slated 2% rate hike in alcohol duties will indeed be carried out, translating into a 5p increase in pub pints for consumers. This go-ahead is one more piece of track laid down for the freight train of British alcohol tax hikes as it chugs its way up an endless mountain of increases.
This raise, slated to continue for the next three years, places the British alcohol industry in ever higher pecuniary uncertainty. Mark Hastings, director of communications for the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA): "Today's budget signs the death warrant for thousands of Britain's pubs and for tens of thousands of British jobs. Pubs play a vital role in the economy and in local communities. Yet six are closing every day and more than 2,000 have gone in the last 12 months alone. The chancellor's unfair and unjustified announcement today condemns thousands more to shut for good." It seems that the government is trying to do all that it can to slowly squeeze the viability out of what’s left of this industry and ignore the voices of business owners and patrons alike with this move. In these globally challenging financial times, this move has placed more than 75,000 jobs in jeopardy, on top of those already lost from daily pub and bar closings around the country.
This rate hike will affect not only pubs and bars, but also the supermarket alcohol sold in discount stores. The difference here is that this increase can be absorbed by the market chains through the retail sales of their other goods; with bars and pubs that absorption is not so easily achieved, and the main method, unfortunately, for bars and pubs to make up that loss is to raise their prices; with patron levels at all time lows and closures making the daily news that is something that many are just not able or willing to do. It seems that at this point the only thing this industry can do is realize that they are not going down without a fight. By continuing to use their voices establishment owners, landlords, consumers, and other industry members will be able, when the dust finally settles, to know that they did everything they could to save their livelihoods and salvage an integral part of Britain’s economy and history. What else can they do?
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18/05/2009 21:37:24
Guest
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Great! So everything from the grocery is going to go up AGAIN to cover this cost too!
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18/05/2009 21:39:03
A.B.
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Things are bad at my place, but if I raise my prices again I don't know if I'll be able to stay open much longer.
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18/05/2009 21:40:00
Guest
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Have you lost a great deal of business?
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18/05/2009 21:41:09
A.B.
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I have. Since the smoking ban things haven't been stellar, but I've laid of three of my six staff and raised my prices about eight months ago. I'm doing probably 50% of what I did four years ago.
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18/05/2009 21:41:57
Guest
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Wow; that's incredible. I'm sorry to hear that. Kepp your chin up!
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18/05/2009 21:51:14
Leslie Andrews
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I agree; we've had to ask our support staff to take the summer off. I don't know if we'll be able to take them back in the fall. Summer's usually fairly good to us, and we're hoping to recoup some costs and get back on our feet again over the next three months or so and then be able to get back to full operation.
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18/05/2009 21:51:54
A.B.
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That sounds like a good strategy. Best of luck Leslie!
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18/05/2009 21:53:32
Leslie Andrews
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Thanks 
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18/05/2009 21:54:40
Guest
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Hey, how about cuttin those ship-holes in yer walls 'n letting people hang theer butts out to smoke?
Time to get unconventional, eh?
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18/05/2009 21:55:58
Tom Dankins
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I'm normally not a vindictive kind of person, but Im glad that the supermarkets are finally going to have to take some kind of hit. It's probably not going to matter much in the end, but at least they're going to have some kind of ripple in their ponds...
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18/05/2009 22:47:23
Guest
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Ouch!
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18/05/2009 22:47:59
Tom Dankins
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Well, I just can't help it. I hope they do get their come uppins!
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18/05/2009 22:50:19
Guest
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If things continue to unravel as they have, our economies are going to continue to spiral downward as well. Where are all of these unemployed people going to go and do?
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18/05/2009 22:51:33
Leslie Andrews
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I can't really speak for anyone else, but I know that two of my employees are going to go back to school.
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18/05/2009 22:52:20
Guest
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That's great if you're able to, but not everybody can afford to go back to school. Unfortunately...
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18/05/2009 23:02:34
JenniferB.
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I understand that the government thinks that the alcoholic industry is the root of all evil and Britain's binge drinking issue, and that's a large reason for all of the tax hikes and other deferments. What I want to know is why isn't there parallel consequences for those that consume aloholic beverages irresponsibly? It's not like the pub manager is forcing people through his doors, prying their jaws open, and pouring the pints down throats. If binge drinking is THAT much of a concern, why aren't there stricter laws regarding it?
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19/05/2009 00:23:15
Shelly Beauford
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"Research shows that teaching young people to drink responsibly doesn't reduce the risk of problematic drinking later in life. In fact current research shows that we may be teaching them how to binge drink."
http://www.essex.police.uk/advice/v_lic_03.php
How can this be?
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19/05/2009 00:25:55
Leslie Andrews
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Technically, "It is an offence to sell alcohol to someone who is drunk."
http://www.essex.police.uk/advice/v_lic_03.php
So there...
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19/05/2009 00:27:03
Guest
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It's only a matter of time before Britain won't even have an alcohol industry...
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