UK wine duty escalator: Peter Richards on tax cut call

Chancellors have raised duty on wine and spirits by inflation plus 2% in Budgets since 2008, but there are claims the rises are costing jobs, and will end up bringing in less money.

In a personal film for BBC2's Daily Politics, wine critic Peter Richards puts the case for calling time on the duty escalator, saying drinkers are already paying 57% on a bottle of wine, and the percentage is set to increase.

He reckons UK drinkers already pay more duty than those in France, Germany, Spain and Italy combined, despite British drinkers consuming less wine.

He will debate his film with Conservative Eric Pickles and Labour's Gareth Thomas on Wednesday's Daily Politics around 12:40 GMT, and the full programme will be on iPlayer for seven days.

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