Rachel Reeves mulls second booze tax hike Politics Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering an increase in taxes on alcohol in line with a higher reading of inflation in a repeat of last year’s Budget, according to reports. Reeves could hike duties by the retail prices index (RPI) inflation rate in a bid to raise more cash to fill an estimated £30bn fiscal hole [...]
Virgin Wines blames government for inflationary cost pressures Retail Virgin Wines has said most of its cost pressures this year have been driven by government policy, including an alcohol duty revamp and a bottle tax. The online wine seller told markets that profit before tax dipped by five per cent to £1.6m in the 2025 financial year, despite flat revenue. CEO Jay Wright pointed [...]
Keir Starmer vows to cut red tape for pubs to ‘bring the buzz back’ to high streets hospitality Keir Starmer has vowed to cut red tape for pubs in a bid to revitalise the ailing hospitality industry following a spate of venue closures. The prime minister has unveiled a four-week “blitz” survey of landlords, customers and neighbours, in a review expected to result in a bonfire of old licensing rules, amid fears some [...]
Reeves urged to increase alcohol taxes to tackle workplace drinking October 8, 2025 Pubs and restaurants up and down the country could be forced to serve up higher booze prices as Rachel Reeves has been urged to add fresh alcohol levies to her menu of tax rises at next month’s Budget. The Institute for Public Policy Research, a left-leaning think tank with close ties to the government, has [...]
Reeves must reject this finger-wagging, fun-sapping, tax-loving nonsense October 8, 2025 The Chancellor may have felt in need of a stiff drink after absorbing the latest productivity figures handed to her by the Office for Budget Responsibility, and who could blame her? The OBR is widely expected to have significantly downgraded its productivity forecasts while at the same time conceding that it’s been overestimating productivity growth [...]
US-style tipping hits UK pubs amid mass closures August 26, 2025 The UK pub industry is facing a new challenge as a controversial trend of implementing US-style tipping gains traction, coinciding with a period of widespread pub closures. A nationwide debate has been sparked by the Well and Boot pub in Waterloo, London, which has introduced an optional four per cent service charge on every drink. [...]
Scotch Whisky is trapped in a tax riddle August 21, 2025 The UK's nonsensical spirit tax regime is an own goal that punishes industries like Scotch Whisky, writes Mark Kent.
Rachel Reeves to raise ‘stealth and sin’ taxes to cover black hole August 15, 2025 Rachel Reeves is set to hit British consumers with extra “sin taxes”, leading forecasters have predicted, which are widely seen as regressive taxes that could hit people on lower income. The Chancellor faces having to raise £20bn in taxes at this year’s Autumn Budget to restore her “already paltry” margin of £9.9bn in headroom, according [...]
One pub to close every day in 2025, new data reveals July 10, 2025 Small pubs are being forced to close in the face of unsustainable costs pressures, according to new data. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has estimated that 378 pubs will close this year across England, Wales and Scotland, amounting to more than 5,600 job losses. The industry body pointed to the heavy pressure of [...]
Echo Falls and Lambrini owner loses over £100m as alcohol duty hikes bite March 27, 2025 The owner of Echo Falls and Lambrini has slumped to a loss of more than £100m as the cost-of-living crisis and alcohol duty hike significantly impacted its finances. The UK arm of Accolade Wines, whose brands also include Hardys and Kumala, has reported a pre-tax loss of £103.8m for the 12 months to 30 June, [...]