WSTA's Call Time on Duty campaign wins major PR award

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association's Call Time On Duty campaign, which helped see the end of the duty escalator on wine and spirits in last year's Budget, has won a prestigious national public relations award.

Cambridge Wine's Hal Wilson leads the way and gets local MP to back Drop the Duty campaign

Leading independent wine merchant, Hal Wilson of Cambridge Wine Merchants, has shown the way forward by persuading his local MP to stand up for a drop in wine and spirits duty in March's Budget by writing to Chancellor, George Osborne calling for a change.

Brits fork out 50% in tax on festive drinks shop

British consumers forked out over 50% on tax for their festive alcohol shop, as taxes have surged by 19% in the past four years.

'Help us help you': wine and spirits trade call to Chancellor

"Help us, help you" was the direct message laid down to the Chancellor by the wine and spirits industry at today's media launch of its new Drop the Duty campaign.

Wine and spirit industries to unite in combined campaign for 2% duty cut in 2015 Budget

The wine and spirits industry is to unite under a combined campaign and consider calling for a 2% cut in alcohol duty in the 2015 Budget.

A "united" industry effort can force a 2% cut in duty, claims WSTA's Miles Beale

WSTA's Miles Beale gears up for the next battle to cut wine duty

Fresh from victory in the battle against hiking alcohol duty ever-upwards, the Wine & Spirit Trade Association's chief executive is already champing at the bit to secure a fair duty level next time around.

WSTA's Miles Beale wins Harpers Special Achievement award for Call Time on Duty campaign

Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine & Spirits Trade Association, has been awarded with a Special Achievement award at tonight's Harpers Awards for the leadership he showed in driving the Call Time on Duty campaign which resulted in the duty escalator on wine and spirits being scrapped in the 2014 Budget.

Scrapping duty escalator will benefit wine and spirits trade by £175m

Scrapping the duty escalator and freezing spirits duty will boost the wine and spirits trade to the tune of £175 million, says the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

Scrapping duty escalator could be bad news for suppliers warns Robin Copestick

Robin Copestick, co-founder of UK wine agency Copestick Murray, has sounded a warning shot about the Chancellor's decision to scrap the duty escalator in today's Budget and fears suppliers will be forced to take on the costs of inflationary duty increases rather than the higher costs under the escalator that were easier to pass on to consumers.

Budget 2014 Live Updates: Trade celebrates the end of duty escalator

The trade has united to welcome Chancellor George Osborne's announcement that he is ending the duty escalator for alcohol and freezing spirits duty.

Drinks trade nervously anticipates Budget

As time runs out before the 2014 Budget is announced later today, the drinks trade nervously shuffles its papers following a hard-fought campaign to scrap the duty escalator.

Public poll gives overwhelming support to cuts in duty in this week's Budget

Only 3% of the British public think alcoholic drinks are not too expensive in pubs and restaurants and unless more is done to cut duty levels they are likely to spend more time drinking at home.

Countdown to Budget: pubs more reliant on wine and spirits sales says CGA study

Pubs are becoming increasingly reliant on wine and spirit sales, according to new figures released today by on-trade specialists, CGA Strategy.

Wine and spirits industry in one last push to halt duty escalator in next week's Budget

The wine and spirits trade is readying itself for one last push to convince the Chancellor to scrap the alcohol duty escalator in next week's Budget following intensive campaigning across the industry.

Duty escalator to blame for shrinking Scotch sales in UK

The UK market for Scotch whisky has contracted by 3% in the last year as duty increases put pressure on the industry.

TaxPayers Alliance calls on the public to get behind Call Time On Duty campaign

Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers Alliance has thrown his weight behind the wine and spirit industry's Call Time On Duty campaign, by callling on the public to lobby their MPs to urge the Chancellor to stop the duty escalator.

Call Time on Duty piles pressure on government as Budget looms

The Call Time on Duty campaign is ramping up its activity in the final weeks before the Budget with a coaster campaign in pubs urging consumers to lobby MPs.

Get involved and keep up to date with our new Call Time On Duty section

As the momentum behind the industry's Call Time on Duty campaign increases Harpers.co.uk has created a dedicated area of the site where you can keep up to date with the latest news and views and take part by lobbying your MP or getting producers and suppliers to write directly to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Major drinks firms back Harpers call to get producers behind Call Time on Duty campaign

Direct Wines, Matthew Clark and Bibendum are just three of the big name UK wine companies that have got behind the Harpers initiative to get as many wine producers as possible to back the Wine & Spirit Trade Association-led Call Time on Duty campaign and make the government aware how damaging its on-going alcohol duty strategy is on the UK drinks industry.