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WSTA sets out its own general election manifesto to the main political parties

Published:  30 January, 2015

What the drinks industry wants from the next government is laid out today in the Wine and Spirit Trade Association's general election manifesto.

With the election less than a 100 days away the WSTA has thrown its hat in the ring to make clear the policies it thinks "will help the wine and spirit industry to grow, tackle alcohol related harm and promote responsible production, supply and consumption of alcohol across the UK".

At the heart of its manifesto is that the UK's wine and spirits industry is worth nearly £45 billion to the British economy and supports over half a million jobs across the country and therefore deserves the attention of our major political parties.

In its own manifesto it is calling on parties to commit to the following proposals:

  • Promote wines and spirits as a UK trade and investment priority and commit to stocking English wine and British spirits at government receptions
  • Rebalance alcohol duty rates through a modest cut in duty to provide a fairer deal for consumers
  • Continue the partnership approach between government and industry to tackle issues around alcohol related harm, which has proven highly effective
  • Stop further unnecessary licensing changes, which are costly to businesses
  • Make alcohol awareness education a compulsory part of the national curriculum and support industry efforts to raise consumer awareness

WSTA CONFERENCE Miles BealeWSTA CONFERENCE Miles Beale

Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA, said of the manifesto: ""We believe that the policies suggested will help create a future for our industry that allows it to be globally competitive and to increase its contribution to the UK's public finances, growth and job creation."

He added: "The principle of partnership and self-regulation runs through all aspects of what the WSTA aims to achieve. We want to remain a committed partner in the policy-making process and the policies within this manifesto have been developed in this view, for the benefit of consumers and the wider economy".

 By publishing its own manifesto it is a further opportunity for the WSTA to push its call for a  2% cut in alcohol duty in the 2015 Budget as part of the 'Drop the Duty' campaign.

Over the coming weeks Harpers.co.uk will be setting out the different policies of the major political parties relating to wine, spirits and business.

Harpers.co.uk is also a strong supporter of the Drop the Duty campaign and will be introducing initiatives in the coming days and weeks to help the trade get its voice heard.

The full manifesto is available here:  http://www.wsta.co.uk/images/PAN/manifesto/Manifesto2015.pdf

 A two page version is available here:  http://www.wsta.co.uk/images/PAN/manifesto/Manifesto2pg.pdf

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