New freedoms to cut duty on beer sold in pubs after Brexit should be used to give a boost to rural publicans according to councillor James Airey, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Westmorland and Lonsdale.
The UK is currently bound by EU regulations which tax beer at the point of production rather than the point of distribution. Brexit will enable the government to help rural pubs compete with supermarkets by reducing the tax paid on beer sold in pubs only.
Councillor James Airey said: “A different rate of duty for beer sold in pubs and beer sold in supermarkets would help rural publicans.
“Pubs provide a supervised environment and lie at the heart of rural communities in South Lakeland.
“Delivering Brexit will give the Government new freedoms to boost South Lakeland’s pubs and help them compete with supermarkets.”
