LOCALS IN FLINTSHIRE TO CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE PUB

8.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 6th Apr 2009

www.axethebeertax.com

Supporters urged to sign up to "axe the beer tax"

Pubgoers in Flintshire are being urged to help Save the Great British Pub by showing their support for a national campaign backed by beer industry and consumer groups.

The campaign, "Axe the Beer Tax - Save the Pub", follows the decision by the Government to impose further duty rises on beer and pubs. A third of a price of a British pint now goes to the taxman with taxes on beer set to rise by a further 40% over the next three years.

Recent figures show that up to 35 pubs are closing across Britain with beer sales in pubs now at their lowest levels in nearly 40 years. The British Beer and Pub Association predicts that at present rates at least 7,500 more pubs are set to close by 2012 with more than 40,000 jobs likely to be lost.

The campaign is backed by Whitford Welsh Lib Dem Cllr Chris Dolphin who said: "The future of this great British tradition is being threatened by higher taxes at a time when consumers are having to tighten their belts and local businesses are facing tough times.

"Pubs are at the heart of communities here in Flintshire and across Britain. They are where people meet and socialise, and they promote responsible and sensible drinking.

"Yet with beer sales already falling, the scale of tax rises puts at risk parts of the brewing industry that can never be replaced once lost.

"Today, pubgoers already pay nearly a third of the price of every pint to the taxman. And now beer tax is set to rise by an incredible 40% over the next three years.

"These taxes will be a death warrant for pubs and dozens of jobs in pubs here in Flintshire.

"So I am urging all those who love the Great British Pub to make their voice heard by signing up to the "Axe the Beer Tax - Save the Pub" campaign. Go on to www.axethebeertax.com to register your support."

The campaign is backed by the British Beer and Pubs Association and CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale and consumer rights champion. It is supported by celebrities Neil Morrissey, Kym Marsh and Ricky Hatton, as well as MPs and thousands of pubs and pubgoers.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

British Beer & Pub Association

The BBPA is the leading organisation representing the UK beer and pub sector. Our members account for 98% of beer brewed in the UK and own more than half of Britain's 58,000 pubs.

Campaign for Real Ale

CAMRA is a consumer organisation that campaigns for real ale, real pubs and consumer rights. CAMRA has over 95,000 members and has been described as the most successful consumer group in Europe.