Northampton-based Carlsberg UK has thrown its support behind the industry-wide ‘Save Your Pint’ campaign which aims to put an end to the beer duty escalator which was introduced by the last government in 2008.

The campaign’s petition, which it is hoped will secure 100,000 signatures, aims to bring about a high profile Parliamentary debate to abolish the duty which has seen beer duty rise by 42% since 2008, including a 5% rise in the last budget.

Beer drinkers now pay £1.32 in tax on the price of an average pint of £3.10, by far the highest in Europe, and this is set to increase.

As it stands, beer duty is set to increase at a rate of 2% above inflation until 2015, putting more jobs at risk and pubs in danger.

In Northamptonshire, more than 4,800 people are employed in the beer and pub sector, with the county’s 210 pubs and five breweries contributing £485 million to the UK economy.

Darran Britton, marketing and strategy director for Carlsberg UK said: “A third of the price of the pint goes straight to the Chancellor yet the UK beer and pub industry supports over one million jobs and contributes over £20billion to the economy.

“This level of taxation is not sustainable – not for consumers, brewers or pubs, or the many hundreds of thousands of people indirectly employed by the industry.

“We must all act now to try and put an end to the continued rise in tax on the Great British pint.”

The petition, which currently stands at just over 66,000 signatories, needs 100,000 in order to trigger a parliamentary debate.

Sign it at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29664 and find out more at www.saveyourpint.co.uk <http://www.saveyourpint.co.uk