Pound a bottle campaign hits Downing Street

Published: 31 March, 2009

A trade delegation is taking the fight against increased duty rates to Number 10 Downing Street this afternoon.

A trade delegation is taking the fight against increased duty rates to Number 10 Downing Street this afternoon.

Le Beast Wines is organising a trade demonstration from 4.30pm on March 31 outside Downing Street, followed by the handing in of a petition calling for a cut in duty levels to £1 a bottle at around 5.40pm.

The A Pound a Bottle campaign was launched by The Beast Wines to draw the public's attention to how much duty has been raised, and how much of their money goes to the Chancellor every time they have a glass of wine.

Joining Catherine Monahan, managing director of The Beast Wines, at Downing Street will be Richard Siddle, editor of Harpers Wine and Spirit and Rosie Davenport, editor of Off Licence News from the William Reed Business Media stable along with other representatives from across the drinks industry.

Anyone from the trade is invited to take part in the demonstration and asked to go to Whitehall for around 4.15pm.

Harpers Wine & Spirit will also be handing over material from its own investigation into how duty is impacting across the UK drinks industry as part of the It's Your Duty initiative.

The Pound a Bottle demonstrators will have posters of Chancellor, Alistair Darling drinking a sip of wine saying "Haven't you had enough?"

Leaflets will be handed out to the public outlining the level of duty the government takes from alcohol and be urged to log on to the website, www.Apoundabottle.co.uk for more information.

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