Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

UK drinks trade reacts to surprise July general election

Published: 23 May, 2024

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a surprise general election on July 4 has stirred significant reactions within the UK drinks trade.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Should business get involved in politics? Like it or not, we already are

Published: 22 February, 2024

Back in the good old days when my life involved selling millions of bottles of Hungarian wine to the UK’s major retailers, I made an appointment with the buyer at Sainsbury’s. They bought from one of our competitors and were proving a hard nut for me to crack. Buyers often kept suppliers waiting beyond the appointed time, so I settled down with my copy of The Guardian in anticipation.

Hospitality industry urges new Prime Minister Liz Truss to ‘act quickly and decisively’ to save the sector

Published: 06 September, 2022

On Monday (5 September), Conservative Party members chose a new leader and, therefore, a new Prime Minister. Liz Truss secured 57% of the vote, defeating Rishi Sunak in the race to Number 10.

Conservative Party members oppose wine tax hikes

Published: 09 August, 2022

According to new YouGov research, over three-quarters of Tory party members want tax on wine to be frozen at its current rate or reduced.

Friday Read: Hospitality is in for a rough ride

Published: 21 February, 2020

Wine duty hikes, currency devaluation, Brexit uncertainty – the Conservative government has been no friend of the wine trade. When the previous budget was unveiled in 2019, wine was the only drinks category to be hit with a duty rise. It was another ill-timed kick in the teeth for the trade, at a time when businesses were already coping with escalating overheads and staff shortages.