Moray SNP News

MORAY MSP WRITES TO CHANCELLOR CALLING FOR HALT TO WHISKY DUTY RISE

Moray’s SNP MSP Richard Lochhead has written to the UK Chancellor urging him to commit to ruling out further duty increases on Scotch whisky in his upcoming Autumn Statement. 

Reports suggest the UK Treasury will hit the Scotch whisky industry with a 15% duty rise, costing £100m in 2023/24.

The Tory UK Government has failed to deliver on its 2019 manifesto commitment pledging to “ensure our tax system is supporting Scottish whisky and gin producers and protecting 42,000 jobs supported by Scotch across the UK”.

Scottish whisky is the world’s number one internationally traded spirit, with exports reaching £6.2B in 2022 – accounting for 25% of all UK food and drink exports, 77% of Scottish food and drink exports, and supporting more than 10,000 jobs in Scotland.

Commenting Richard Lochhead MSP said:

“Support for the Scotch whisky industry is vital for Scotland’s economy, and for local jobs and investment here in Speyside.

“Ahead of the Autumn Statement this week, I’ve written to the Chancellor urging him to back our iconic whisky industry by halting increases in duty.

“The Spring Budget saw whisky duty hit with the biggest increase in duty in forty years, bringing tax on the average bottle to an eye watering 75%. Local distillers and workers in the industry have expressed serious concern that any further increase will hamper investment in Speyside.

“For far too long the Scotch whisky industry has been treated unfairly by the UK Treasury and simply used as a means to boost its coffers.

“This week we need the Chancellor to commit to a freeze on duty and to back the industry that produces the world’s biggest internationally traded spirit.”