The e-petition to scrap the Beer Duty Escalator, which INCREASES TAXATION ON BEER BY 2% ABOVE INFLATION EVERY YEAR may have reached its milestone to be put forward to be debated in the House of Commons but this is not the end, it’s the beginning.
I’m asking you to write to your MPs, you can find their email addresses here, to support this bill and get this incredibly damaging piece of legislation overturned.
Why? Well it’s not just about the wording in the petition, started by Wychwood Brewery, and is right in every way, it’s also that if we don’t do something to stop the constant over-taxation of beer, all those wonderful new microbreweries and boutique brews that we’ve all been enjoying will simply not be able to sustain themselves in a shrinking pub market.
To make this as simple as possible for you to do, as I know we all lead super-busy lives, I’ve provided some copy that you can simply cut and paste into an email, partially-based on the petition wording, that will take you about two minutes to send to your MP (don’t forget your address on the email or they can’t communicate with you).
Dear ,
As your constituent I’d be grateful if you’d consider supporting the campaign to halt the Beer Duty Escalator as the epetition, to be found here, has now reached the requisite 100,000 figures to be put forward to the House.
Put simply, the numbers of the beer escalator do not add up and, if it stays in place, this piece of legislation is in danger of squeezing medium-sized brewers, that don’t qualify for the sliding scale of duty, out of business and also halting the exploding micro-brewery market – which creates valuable jobs in many communities.
There is also the issue of the enormous, and immensely damaging, impact these increasing taxes are having on the pub trade, which is already under enormous pressure from the state of the economy and low-price supermarket alcohol.
If you would like to know more you can also contact Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, who is spearheading the campaign in his role as chairperson of the All Party Parliamentary Save The Pub Group.
Thank you for your time.
Template letters are a great way to increase the number of people who participate in campaigns like this. Unfortunately, they also make it easier for MPs and Government departments to answer with a generic, catch-all letter.
Having worked in correspondence for a Government department, I can tell you that the best way to make an impact is to use a template and add a few questions of your own at the end. Really awkward questions like “what evidence did the Gov use when deciding to implement this?” That sort of thing.
That way, when the MP forwards the letter on (to the Treasury assumedly), officials there can’t just use a standard reply. They’ll have to go out to policy people and get them to answer every little awkward detail. THAT’S how you annoy the Government, and that’s how to make your campaign memorable, and not just a case of replying to everyone with the same letter.
Thank you Chris
I’m not sure how it fits in with modern Parliamentary Procedure (it’s been a while since A-level politics) but there’s a list here of MPs who are signed up to an early day motion on a review. I’d have thought it’s worth a look to see if you’re MP is on it so you know what you are asking – get on board or get others on board.
http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2010-12/2785
Thank you to Melissa for pointing out that nothing is settled yet, there are far too many congratulatory articles suggesting it’s a done deal when as I understand it from a brief look at how the new e-petitions work even a debate is not guaranteed.
I’ve done it, I’ve sent her another letter. I used yours as a basis then added on a few bits of my own… We shall see what she comes back with. Not holding my breath, but as I’ve said before, sitting on my arse just bitching about it wont do anything either!
Thanks Melissa. I have e-mailed my MP and will follow up whatever reply I get, with some further questions.
I will also ask my blog readers to do likewise.