Sir Keir Starmer accused of breaking Scotch whiskey promise after alcohol tax hike

Their reaction came after the Chancellor said alcohol duty rates on off-draft products would rise in line with inflation. But he said duty on draft goods would be reduced by 1.7 per cent, which would take “a penny off a pint in the pub”.

Mr Kent said: “Last year’s disastrous 10.1 per cent tax rise has now increased further. This further tax rise means lessons have not been learned and the Chancellor has opted for continuity with his predecessor, not change.

“We call on all MPs who support Scotch whiskey to vote against this tax increase and tax discrimination against Scotland’s national drink.”

Former Scottish Tory leader and Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross wrote on his old Twitter account, ”

Responding to criticism from the SWA, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “We need to balance the books in terms of public spending and indeed in terms of settling and stabilizing the economy.

“There is a £5 million boost to the Scotch whiskey industry in terms of bringing new products to market. We have allocated an additional £750,000 in the Scotland Office budget to promote Brand Scotland; “This is a huge benefit and Scotch whiskey will be an important part of it.”

Sean Cockburn, chair of the CIT’s Scottish technical committee, said: “Increasing Employers’ National Insurance and lowering the threshold at which it becomes payable will increase staffing costs for affected businesses.

“This could create additional pain for Scottish-based businesses, where some are offering job seekers higher wages to offset the cost of higher Scottish income tax rates.”