Written by JOSHUA TAYLOR

THE Chancellor George Osborne has attended a beer summit with leading members of Burton’s brewing and pub industry.

Mr Osborne spoke to senior executives and Burton MP Andrew Griffiths at Marston’s Shobnall Road brewery yesterday afternoon.

The Chancellor’s visit came on the back of his decision last month to cut beer duty by 1p in his Budget. He also abolished the annual rises in beer tax.

Written by JOSHUA TAYLOR

GEORGE Osborne this week became the first Chancellor in more than 50 years to reduce the amount of tax paid on a pint of beer.

Here, Burton MP Andrew Griffiths tells Mail reporter JOSHUA TAYLOR how a lengthy campaign for a fairer deal for pubs and breweries ended in success this week when the 2013 Budget was announced.

FOR years, publicans and breweries have complained about the effect of the so-called beer duty escalator on their livelihoods.

Today’s announcement by the Chancellor is a huge boost for Britain’s brewers, publicans and hard pressed beer drinkers alike.

By scrapping Gordon Brown’s hated beer duty escalator and cutting the duty on a pint, George Osborne has helped to support community pubs across the country. George Osborne is the first Chancellor since 1959 to cut beer duty, meaning that you would have to be 72 to have enjoyed a pint to celebrate on that day.

By axing the duty escalator, the Chancellor has gone a long way to saving the Great British pint.

Written byBY JAMES BRINDLE

A ‘SLIGHT change in tone’ by ministers is evidence the Government may be preparing to freeze the amount of tax levied on beer, it has been claimed.

Uttoxeter MP Andrew Griffiths suggested Chancellor George Osborne may have ‘pencilled in’ plans to cancel a five per cent rise in beer duty, due to come into effect after the Budget in just over a weeks time.

Written by JOSHUA TAYLOR

THE ‘crippling’ and ‘unfair’ beer tax system is due to be debated again by MPs in Westminster.

The debate, which will be attended by Treasury minister Sajid Javid, will hear arguments in favour of abolishing the controversial beer duty escalator.

Currently, tax levied on beer increases by two per cent plus the rate of inflation every year. Such a rise is due to be implemented again after Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget in March.

Written by ADRIAN JENKINS

AN MP has exchanged debating and voting for mashing and fermenting to spend a day brewing beer.

Burton Conservative Andrew Griffiths learned the tricks of the trade by working a 10-hour shift at Burton Bridge Brewery, in Bridge Street, Burton.

“I did the who brewing process from start to finish – it was a real grain to glass experience,” he said.

Written by JOSHUA TAYLOR

A NEW video has been launched as part of the growing campaign to scrap the beer duty escalator.

Leading brewing industry figures are featured in the 10-minute video, which makes the argument for abolishing the escalator, which adds two per cent onto alcohol duty every year above the rate on inflation.

The film, presented by Marverine Cole, also features Andrew Griffiths, Burton MP and chairman of the parliamentary beer group.

Written by JOSHUA TAYLOR

BURTON’S MP has challenged the Prime Minister to take the Chancellor of the Exchequer for a pint and order him to reduce the amount of tax levied on beer.

Parliamentary beer group chairman Andrew Griffiths, speaking during yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, said: “Will he (David Cameron) take the Chancellor (George Osborne) for a pint, tell him to scrap the beer duty escalator and do something for British pubs and British publicans?”

Mr Cameron said it was ‘very important’ that the Government supported pubs.

Written by JOSH TAYLOR

THE campaign to axe a ‘crippling’ tax on Burton’s breweries and pubs was today a step closer to success after 100 MPs joined the fight.

They demanded an urgent review of the beer duty escalator, which adds 10p in tax to the cost of a pint of beer every year.

MPs from all three main parties backed a House of Commons motion calling on Chancellor George Osborne to reconsider the escalator before his 2013 Budget.

Burton MP Andrew Griffiths described the tax as ‘completely unsustainable’ and said 5,000 jobs would be saved within a year if it was axed.

Written by JOSH TAYLOR

BRITAIN’S ‘crippling’ levels of beer tax will be debated by MPs in the House of Commons next week.

Tory backbencher Andrew Griffiths, who represents Burton, will be among politicians calling for the beer duty escalator to be scrapped by the Treasury.

The escalator sees around 10p of tax added to a pint of beer each spring, but experts have warned these hikes are driving drinkers away and hurting the industry.

Mr Griffiths told the Mail he hoped to speak during the debate on July 2, which has been secured by South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson.