Mike Nesbitt, the health minister for Northern Ireland, has said that he will be unable to deliver minimum unit pricing (MUP) before the Stormont election in May 2027, as reported by the BBC.
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The new Australia-EU trade deal will see the introduction of zero-for-zero tariffs on wine and spirits exports. The agreement also sees new arrangements regarding EU and Australian ‘geographical indications’ (GIs).
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New proposals to introduce a tourist levy in England could deliver a £1.6bn tax hit to consumers while shrinking the wider economy and reducing employment, according to UK Hospitality.
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In the latest update to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) – the basket of goods the government uses to measure inflation – off-trade sales of alcohol-free beer have been added to the list for the first time.
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The European Council has today (23 February) announced a “modernised policy framework” to support the EU wine industry. The legislation covers a raft of measures including enhanced sustainability support, new no-alcohol wine definitions and updated labelling practices.
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Following the striking down of Trump’s tariff regime by the Supreme Court, the US president announced on Saturday (21 February) that he would introduce a global tariff rate of 15%. This could provide yet another headache for UK drinks exporters who may see duties on products travelling across the pond rise.
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The recent decision by the Welsh government to include single-use glass bottles in its Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been criticised by the WSTA, which called the policy costly and ineffective.
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The Scottish Government has announced that it will be increasing business rates relief for hospitality and music venues from 15% to 40% for the next three years (subject to a £110,000 cap per business).
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In a new ‘proactive’ market audit, industry regulator Portman Group has found “near universal” adherence to high standards of alcohol marketing.
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The WSTA has called on the government to end the “doom loop” caused by its decision to continue to increase alcohol duty at the last Budget (as Harpers reported).
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The government has revealed a support package aimed at helping pubs and music venues in England, worth £80m.
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Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the hospitality sector employed 8,784 fewer people in December 2025 compared to November 2025.
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Last week’s reports that pubs will see great business rates support has been followed by a chorus of industry figures urging the government to extend the relief to all of hospitality.
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Leading charity Drinkaware has welcomed a consultation from the Department for Transport (DfT) which proposes reducing the safe alcohol limit at which driving becomes an offence in England and Wales, as part of a broader strategy to improve road safety in the UK.
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Trying to extract any optimism from the autumn Budget is potentially a fool’s errand. Alcohol duty will increase in line with RPI – a move many in the sector had pleaded with the government not to make. With RPI currently set at 3.66%, according to the WSTA, this will see duty go up 11p on an average bottle of Prosecco, 13p on a bottle of red wine and 38p on a bottle of gin. This, combined with the cumulative strain of the inflationary pressures of the past five years on consumer buying power, will likely continue to inhibit spend on alcohol.
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Trade body UK Hospitality Scotland has revealed new analysis, suggesting that the Scottish hospitality sector is on course for a £69m business rates hit in 2026/2027 without action from the Scottish Government in its January Budget.
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Packaging waste matters and policy that can reduce it is vital. This would be a view held by most across the drinks trade. Despite this, implementation and policy design matter too. The introduction of extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy for some in the sector has been far from satisfactory. In many ways this comes down to a case of unfortunate timing – the policy’s introduction coinciding with a raft of other cost-increasing measures, namely alcohol duty and NIC hikes. But also, legitimate concerns exist regarding the policy’s minutiae.
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In a statement from Huw Irranca-Davies MS, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, the Welsh Government has announced that it has begun the process of finding a Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) to run its Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).
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In an entirely predictable move, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed that alcohol duty will rise with the Retail Prices Index (RPI) in 2026, provoking near-universal concern across the drinks trade.
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The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is calling on the government to get rid of plans to raise alcohol duty, to avoid further price rises that will fuel inflation.
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