CAMRA have slammed Chancellor Alistair Darling’s first budget which has put 4p on a pint of beer, 14p on a bottle of wine and 55p on a bottle of spirits.

Duty on a packet of cigarettes is up 11p while road tax for the most polluting cars will go up but a 2p rise in fuel duty will be delayed for six months.

Mike Benner, Chief Executive of CAMRA said, “The Chancellor has failed to recognise that well-run community pubs are the solution to Britain’s binge drinking problems.

“This budget will do nothing to stop binge drinking, but it will lead to pub closures on a huge scale, widen the gap between supermarket and pub prices and encourage smuggling and cross-border shopping.



“It’s a great big nail whacked ruthlessly into the coffin of the British pub.”



Hull-based bus group EYMS have also criticised the Chancellor for failing to include any measures to support public transport.

A spokesman for EYMS said: “In his speech the Chancellor was strong on comments about the need to reduce congestion and deal with climate change, yet he announced not one single measure which would help local bus services or encourage people to use local buses for journeys which do not have to be made by private transport.”

But Mr Darling’s proposed rise in tax credits which will benefit shopworkers and other low-paid staff has been welcomed by the Union of Shop, Distributive, and Allied Workers.

USDAW general secretary John Hannett, said: “We are pleased that the Government has now extended the tax credit to include more low-paid workers and increased the amount they will receive, so that they will be able to enjoy a better standard of living.”



For people in Driffield the rise in the duty on alcohol appears to be causing the greatest concern as Driffield Post reporter SARA BEACH and photographer PAM STANFORTH discovered when they went into town to ask the people their opinions about the budget...

Geoff Leason, a self-employed joiner from Adelphi Street, Driffield: “If they put it up to £5 a pint it doesn’t mean people will stop buying it. It won’t make any difference whatsoever, people will still smoke, they will still drink and still put petrol in their cars, they moan but won’t do anything about it.”

Debbie Watts, land lady of the Original Keys, on Market Place, Driffield: “All it will do is put up the average nights drinking by about £3. They were supposed to absolutely blast alco-pops but haven’t. They were supposed to crucify alcohol but they haven’t, in fact brewery increases were higher than the budget increases.”

Ralph Shipley, landlord of the Old Falcon pub on Market Place, Driffield: “It’s gone up by two per cent above inflation for the next four years and with inflation being what it is, it’s going to go up five per cent on top of this. So, if your average pint is £2.50 now it’s going to go up by 12.5p a year which is far too big an increase, not to mention the brewery increases.