Beer Tax in England Also Unpopular

It looks like Oregon isn't alone in girding for battle. The Campaign for Real Ale is mounting an effort to defeat a beer tax in the UK, too. All politics are local, though; in this case, CAMRA and pub-owners are arguing that a tax could hasten the decline of the beloved English pub:

Pub experts have urged the government to scrap a rise in beer tax in the next Budget because of the recession.

CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner said: "It is time for the government to think again in order to save the great British pub."

Rob Hayward, the chief executive of the BBPA, said: "The British beer and pub industry supports 650,000 jobs and makes a vital contribution to the British economy. Yet it has been hit by a succession of tax increases alongside more and more regulation."

He said nearly six pubs a day were closing and thousands of jobs were being lost.

The early effort, like our own, has been vigorous.

More than 25,000 people have joined the "Axe the Beer Tax, Save the Pub" campaign, which was launched by the BBPA and Camra last November.

A Parliamentary motion calling on the government to axe plans to increase this year's rise in duty and to do more to support local pubs has been signed by 155 MPs.

Hmm, a "support your local brewery" campaign. That has a certain nice ring to it, doesn't it?