Supporters of Norwich pubs urged to sign e-petition to force rethink on beer duty escalator

Supporters of Norwich Evening News' Love your Local campaign are being urged to sign an e-petition to force a government rethink on the beer duty escalator.

British people are the second highest beer tax payers in Europe and the British Beer and Pub Association's Save Your Pint campaign - aimed at getting the Chancellor to rethink the annual hike in duty - is close to gaining 100,000 signatures on an e-petition that would force the government to discuss the beer duty escalator in parliament.

David Wilson, director of public affairs at the BBPA and a Norfolk resident, said: 'We know that Norwich and Norfolk folk love their pubs and want to keep them. Cutting beer tax is the best way the government can help our pubs to thrive.

'Norwich North MP and Treasury Minister Chloe Smith needs to see the scale of the public opposition to year-on-year above-inflation beer tax increases. Let's see the City of Ale lead the way in opposing the beer tax escalator.'

Chris Higgins, landlord at the Trafford Arms in Norwich, backed the call, and added: 'It's a great initiative. If they can get 100,0000 signatures then they can get a question asked in the House of Commons. This escalator is just another form of taxation. 'It was disingenuous of the Chancellor to say at the Budget earlier this year that there would be no further increase in alcohol duty, while, what he really meant was, other than what is already in place. There needs to be a public outcry to force the government to make another U-turn.'

The Evening News has been urging people to return to pubs in our Love your Local campaign.

To see more stories from the campaign visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk/loveyourlocal.

To sign the petition go to http://saveyourpint.co.uk/