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MPs made ‘beer champions’
100 MPs were presented with a ‘beer champion’ award yesterday in recognition of their support for the beer industry.
(L-R) Brigid Simmonds OBE, Chief Executive, BBPA; Greg Mulholland MP, Chaiman of the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group; Andrew Griffiths MP, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, Keith Bott, chairman of SIBA, and Bob Stukins, vice chairman of CAMRA.
The awards were handed out to 100 MPs in Parliament yesterday in a joint initiative by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA).
Their selection was based on acts of advocacy in Parliament, votes taken, supportive motions and debates.
Of particular significance was the role MPs played in working to scrap the Beer Duty Escalator in 2013 which lead to a cut in beer duty.
The BBPA, CAMRA and SIBA are hoping to repeat this success in 2014 and have launched a campaign to scrap the duty escalator imposed on the wine and spirits industry.
Each MP was given a limited edition bottled IPA beer brewed by Ed Wray, Campden BRI’s brewer and maltster at the company’s brewing division in Nutfield, Surrey.
Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, comments:
“MPs of all parties made a huge difference in achieving the historic duty cut in 2013, and deserve our thanks and recognition.
“We are delighted to honour this achievement in the best way possible – with a great new beer. I hope even more MPs will join calls for a duty freeze in this year’s Budget on 19th March.”
Mike Benner, Chief Executive of CAMRA, added: “This reward recognises the invaluable support given by MPs to the campaign to scrap the beer duty escalator.
“These top 100 MPs played a major role in drawing attention to the harm caused by tax increases totaling 42 per cent over four years.
“Major highlights of the campaign were the full Parliamentary debate on the 108,000 signature e-petition and CAMRA’s first ever lobby day where 1,200 campaigners visited Parliament to lobby for a fair deal for beer.”