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Le Beast wines takes duty lobby to Number 10

Le Beast Wines is organising a trade delegation next week to hand in its "A Pound A Bottle" petition directly to the front door of Number 10 Downing Street.


As well as handing over the petition Le Beast is calling on members of the trade to take part in a demonstration opposite Number 10. The demonstration will start at 4.30pm on March 31 with the petition being handed in at 5.40pm.

Richard Siddle, editor of Harpers Wine & Spirit, will be joining the procession to hand the petition over and will also include recent material as part of the magazine's "It's Your Duty" initiative.

Le Beast Wines is calling on the chiefs of the major wine grocery retailers to join consumers and political activists to lobby against the high alcohol duty rates in the UK.

The "A Pound A Bottle" petition was launched by Le Beast Wines in February to draw the public's attention to the high levels of duty they have to pay and to call for a return to £1 duty on a bottle of wine as opposed to the current £1.57. For more information about the campaign visit www.apoundabottle.co.uk

"The government must understand that wine is not a bottomless pit of revenue and raising duty on wine will not effect binge drinking. We must all stand together and raise our voices in unison," said Catherine Monahan, managing director of Le Beast Wines.

Le Beast Wines will be working with the UK blogging community and doing a Twitter campaign over the next week to get people to turn out for the protest.

Monahan added: "I would like to invite all consumers and every member of the trade, that is retail, wholesale, and hospitality to join us next Tuesday at Downing Street. Our livelihoods are at risk and we must compel the Chancellor to find the revenue he needs elsewhere. This is a matter of life or death for wine in this country".

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