Whisky sales in Westminster gift shop 'plummet' after duty on spirits is hiked
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Whisky sales in the House of Commons gift shop have plummeted after the UK Government hiked tariffs last year, according to research by the SNP. Alcohol duty rates rose in August 2023 and are set to do so again in February next year.
The Nationalists today blasted Scottish Labour MPs who voted for their government's budget which included next year's hike.
In 2023 the parliamentary gift shops sold 1,510 5cl whisky bottles at a value of £11,597. This was an average of 126 bottles a month. In the same year it sold 2,990 70cl bottles for £114,558 - 249 a month.
But for the first 10 months of 2024, they only sold 809 5cl bottles for £6,688 - 81 sales a month. In the same period it sold 2,099 70cl bottles for £70,415 - 210 a month. This meant that the average monthly sales of 5cl bottles fell by 36 per cent, while the monthly sales of 70cl bottles fell by 16 per cent.
SNP MP for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey and Vice Chair of the APPG on Scotch Whisky, Graham Leadbitter said:
“Labour MPs from Scotland voted to slap a crippling tax rise on Scotch whisky, then skipped past the House of Commons gift shop where Scotch Whisky sales had just completely collapsed by 40% – you couldn’t make it up.
“Our Scotch whisky sector supports 40,000 Scottish jobs and with Trump whisky tariffs at 25% the last time he was in the White House, this is no time for weak Scottish Labour MPs unwilling to put Scotland’s interests first.
“We know the Treasury is £300m down since Westminster slapped on their damaging whisky tax rises and now we know they’re paying the price for it in their own backyard - the SNP voted against these harmful tariffs and it’s time the Labour Government finally listened and stopped discriminating against Scotland’s national drink.”
This duty rises come at the same time as fears about trade in the whisky industry. Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Single Malt Scotch Whisky in his first term - causing the Scotch Whisky industry losing over £600m in exports to the US.
He is threatening the UK with huge tariffs when he returns to the presidency next year. Scottish Labour and the UK Government were approached for comment.
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