Alcohol duty frozen in cold Budget for pubs and bars
The hospitality industry has been left high and dry by the government.

Pubs, bars and the rest of the hospitality industry have been left high and dry by the government, after the Spring Budget delivered no respite for the sector.
Venues from across the UK, which are still being haunted by the amount of closures around the country, had been hoping for vital support around key areas such as business rates, a lower rate of VAT and Employer National Insurance Contributions.
However, the chancellor Jeremy Hunt made no reference to any of those topics.
In his only mention of hospitality, Hunt announced that the government is extending the alcohol duty freeze from August 2024 to 1 February 2025.
While such action will be positive news for the industry's drinks suppliers, Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, was quick to point out that "this doesn’t directly help hospitality businesses".
On a cliff edge
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, says that this April brewers and pubs still face "a £450m cliff edge of spiralling wage costs and business rates increases", particularly those pubs that are larger or food-led.
"It is disappointing that the chancellor did not choose to go further with a duty cut, reduce VAT or cap the increase to the business rates multiplier, which would have helped mitigate the huge cost of doing business. Pressures on our sector remain acute with margins being squeezed to the point where we fear it is likely that a further 500-600 pubs are likely to close this year on top of the 530 that closed in 2023."
"The Spring Budget statement delivered no support for independent pub businesses in every village, town and high street across the UK," adds Steve Alton, CEO of the BII. "The freeze on duty until February next year will not help pubs, who have been facing huge inflation in every area of their business, high energy costs, wage rises and reduced footfall from consumers facing their own cost of living crisis.
"This Budget simply did not deliver to safeguard incredibly successful operators, who are struggling with profitability, while being unfairly and disproportionately taxed."
'You are on your own'
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has voiced profound disappointment and concern over the lack of substantial support for the struggling sector.
Characterising the chancellor's message as 'You are on your own!', the NTIA once again emphasised the dire economic challenges facing its members and has warned of lasting consequences without adequate assistance.
"The economic challenges faced by our sector are catastrophic, and following today's spring budget announcement, the lack of support will have a profound impact on this sector for years to come," says Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA. "For months, the entire sector has been providing the government with critical information outlining our precarious situation and the urgent need for supportive measures to sustain businesses through these turbulent times."