I joined with representatives of the UK’s beer drinkers, pub goers, brewers and publicans to urge the Chancellor to keep pubs afloat in the Autumn Budget.

Over 50 MPs added their voice to the campaign, calling on the Chancellor to give serious consideration to introducing a freeze in beer duty for the rest of this Parliament.

As a former pub owner I know pubs are a force for good in Edinburgh South and across the UK. Pubs are at the heart of our communities and the local economy, but they are struggling under the weight of a growing tax burden.

In Edinburgh South, we have a brewery and 28 pubs, supporting 357 jobs. These establishments need all the help they can get, which is why I’m asking the Chancellor to do whatever he can to support them in the Autumn budget.

Taxes now make up a third of the cost of a pint, and UK beer duty is among the highest in Europe. Recent research carried out by YouGov for CAMRA found that 55% of people who expressed an opinion believe beer duty is too high at 54p per pint.••