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Wells and Young's is First Stop for Tory Campaign Trail

2nd May 2010

George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer for the Conservative party, yesterday (6 April) visited Bedford based Charles Wells Ltd, parent company of the UK’s largest private brewery Wells and Young’s and award winning pub operator, Charles Wells Pub Company.

On the day Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the date of the General Election, Mr Osborne visited the brewery in Bedford and heard from Vice Chairman, Tom Wells, and Managing Director, Nigel McNally, on the effects the beer duty escalator has had on the industry.

Mr McNally stressed the importance to the Shadow Chancellor of continuing to invest in brands and brewing despite the recession. He said: “With huge taxation pressures, the beer industry is incredibly vulnerable. However we have continued to invest in our brands, such as Bombardier, Young’s and Courage, to provide support for pubs, which puts us in the best possible position when the UK economy improves.”

Mr Osborne was given a tour of the brewery where he spent an hour talking to Wells and Young’s employees.

The company also reiterated its support to the Independent Family Brewers of Britain’s (IFBB) submission to the EU on the beer tie. Mr Wells said: “With a third of our pubs in double-digit growth and the highest ratio of retail development managers to pubs, we, along with our fellow IFBB members are fully in support of the beer tie. It is in the best interests of the tenants as there is a low entry cost and significant support; the best interests of the consumer as it enables a wide choice of excellent cask beers; and the best interest of the community as it guarantees local jobs. To abolish the beer tie would be another nail in the coffin for the British beer industry.”

Following the visit, which included a tour of the brewery, Mr Osborne said: “British pubs and breweries are at the heart of many local communities. In recent years they have been hit hard by tax rises and suffocated by red tape.

“Last night, the Conservatives forced the Government to back down on its plans to hit responsible drinkers and breweries with an across-the-board 10% cider tax increase.

“The first challenge is to stop Labour’s jobs tax, which will hit pubs, breweries, and their staff, hard. The Conservative plan to cut wasteful government spending and stop the jobs tax will support businesses and help get Britain working.

“British pubs and breweries also need action on taxes and regulation to compete and survive. That is why we have promised to reduce small company corporation tax to 20p, simplify the planning system and cut the burden of government regulation.”