Fuel tax win inspires Shropshire real ale campaigners

Members of the Shropshire's Campaign for Real Ale have been buoyed by a meeting with county MPs over the abolition escalator, which adds two per cent plus inflation each year to the tax on a pint of beer.

Shropshire Camra branch members met Telford's MP David Wright, Shrewsbury and Atcham's Daniel Kawczynski, and officials from the office of Owen Paterson.

Mr Wright said: "It was good to meet campaigners at Westminster last week. Pubs are under pressure like never before and we really need to give them support."

Norrie Porter, vice chairman and press officer for the Shrewsbury and West Shropshire Camra branch, said he was pleased by the positive reception.

He said Mr Kawczynski had indicated that he would be writing to the Treasury to express Camra's concerns, while also drawing parallels between the campaign and the successful fight to cancel the fuel tax escalator, which would have added 3p to a litre from January.

He said: "Daniel drew parallels between the campaign to halt the beer duty escalator and the recent successful campaign to abolish the fuel duty escalator.

"We were pleased to hear him acknowledge the central role of pubs in communities and the importance of the beer and pub industry to the economy of Shropshire.

"He also stated his support for minimum unit pricing for alcohol, and his opposition to supermarkets selling alcohol as a loss leader."

Branch members also joined a rally, which was addressed by national leaders, publicans and MPs.

Camra has claimed that the levy harms Shropshire's hard-pressed pubs, which employ an estimated 4,800 people.