Chancellor welcomes new jobs following fall in beer duty
Chancellor visits the Midlands.
Chancellor visits Marston's Brewery in Wolverhampton
As the price of a pint fell by a penny following a Budget cut in duty for the second year running, the Chancellor visited a Midlands brewery today which said the measures had allowed them to announce the creation of 3,000 jobs following the Budget announcement.
Marston’s, an independent brewery which also runs over 2,000 pubs across the UK, said the Budget decision to take a penny off the price of a pint for the second year running was a huge boost to their industry.
Thanks to the government’s actions, duty on a pint is now 8p lower than it would have been under previous plans.
The announcement was made on the same day that the Chancellor visited the Marston’s brewery in Wolverhampton, one of several stops on a tour of the Midlands, following last week’s Budget. Marston’s employs 13,000 people nationwide, including over 1,200 at the Wolverhampton site.
Marston’s Chief Executive, Ralph Findlay, said:
Marston’s is creating 3,000 new jobs over the next two years in its programme to build new pub restaurants across the UK. Two consecutive Budgets have been positive for the pub and brewing industry, which gives the business confidence to plan continued investment and provides clarity for forward planning.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, said:
I was delighted to be able to take a penny off the price of a pint in last week’s Budget for the second year in a row. Pubs are a vital part of British communities and I want to do all I can to support them.
Our economic plan is all about creating jobs and economic security. Our pubs and brewers also employ thousands of people up and down the country and it is great news that Marston’s are today creating 3,000 new jobs following the Budget.
On his visit to the Midlands, the Chancellor also took a tour of Derby Cathedral, following his announcement in last week’s Budget that the government would commit £20m over the next two years to help protect cathedrals. He was met by The Dean of Derby, the Very Revd Dr John Davies, who welcomed the announcement and signalled Derby Cathedral’s intent to apply to the fund.
Chancellor meets the Very Revd Dr John Davies, inside Derby Cathedral
Then in Loughborough the Chancellor visited, BOAL UK Aluminium UK, a family-owned aluminium manufacturer, employing 130 staff in Shepshed. BOAL welcomed measures in the Budget aimed at reducing energy costs and boosting the investment allowance to help businesses create new jobs and increase exports.
Chancellor with Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Nicky Morgan and Paul Hatton, Production manager at Boal Aluminium UK on a factory tour
Finally, in Rowley Regis the Chancellor visited Cube Precision Engineering Ltd, an award winning West Midlands supplier of tools to Jaguar Land Rover and Rolls Royce. Cube Precision Engineering will benefit from new measures announced in the Budget, aimed at providing more affordable lending to UK business supply chains and the doubling of the amount of loans available to increase exports, providing the company with increased access to car, aero and defence industries in Europe, China, India and North America.
Chancellor with chargehand Paul Wicket during a visit to Cube Precision Engineering in Rowley Regis