Alcohol duty FROZEN until next February in Spring Budget

The Chancellor has extended a freeze on alcohol duty until February next year. Jeremy Hunt announced the measure to MPs during the Budget this afternoon (March 6).

The tax on alcohol had been frozen until August this year during the last Autumn Statement, and had been due to rise by three per cent. Mr Hunt told MPs he had listened to feedback - including from Sir Graham Brady, MP for Altrincham and Sale West - before coming to today's decision.

Mr Hunt said: "Today I have decided to extend the alcohol duty freeze until February 2025. This benefits 38,000 pubs across the UK, and on top of the £13,000 saving a typical pub will get from the 75 per cent business rates discount I announced in the autumn.

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"We value our hospitality industry and are backing the Great British pub." As Mr Hunt announced the measure, one opposition MP heckled: "This isn't going to save your seat."

The announcement came after Mr Hunt told MPs that inflation now stands at four per cent, and is projected by the Office for Budget Responsibility to hit the two per cent target in 'just a few months' time'. That figure is down from 11 per cent in October 2022, following the Liz Truss premiership.

Today's Budget could be the last to take place before a General Election. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has previously hinted that he is planning for voters to head to the polls in the second half of this year.

There is much speculation that a vote could come sooner, although the PM could choose a date as late as January 28 next year. Mr Sunak's Conservative party has been consistently behind Labour in opinion polls over the past two years.

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