"There is a long-standing anomaly which has meant cider has been under-taxed in comparison to other alcoholic drinks. I intend to correct this. So duty on cider will increase by 10% above inflation from midnight on Sunday." - Alistair Darling, 2010.
Apple orchards have been suitably prolific ever since Gordon Brown, as chancellor, cut the duty by 2% in 2002 and for four subsequent budgets it was frozen. Millions of pounds were spent on creating new scrumpy goodness but this week, as expected, Darling announced an end to the good times by increasing the alcohol tax with cider being one of the worst affected."This tax is a kick in the teeth, said Jan Gale, manager at the Clifton Tap, which is renowned for its strong ciders, "The new tax is aimed at binge drinkers but it is the regular, sensible drinkers who are going to be affected most.”
Henry Chevallier, chair of the UK's National Association of Cider Makers, said a pint could cost up to 10p more when the duty increases by 10% above inflation on Sunday. Chevallier said today: "This dramatic increase could well reverse the growth we have generated in recent years.”
There is a real sense of unease brewing in the West Country at the moment, with the usually placid cider crowd threatening to mount their combine harvesters and tractors and travel to London to give Alistair ‘Eyebrows’ Darling a piece of their minds.
Some warned the Government to heed the lessons of the past, pointing out that a cider tax in 1763 led to riots and the consequent resignation of the Prime Minister. Clearly the conservatives remember this and so ‘Man of the people’, David Cameron, took to the pubs of Devon last night to enjoy a few pints of cheap cider before the levy on Sunday. Mr Cameron said: "Taxing all cider so heavily is wrong. They don't understand the West Country, they don't understand this part of our country. The duty is highly unlikely to boost Labour’s election prospects in south-west England.
Frank Naish, 86, one of the oldest cider makers in the world warned, “The last time they tried to sting us with a cider tax, there were effigies burnt in the street. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happened again, such is the strength of feeling round here."
The tax hike also caused stereotypically West Country posse, The Wurzels, to state: "We are all very upset that scrumpy cider, being one of the few pleasures that we cherish down here on the farm … is being hit by such a tax rise. We all realise that we have to tighten the string on our trousers but we feel we are being unfairly penalised."
Facebook members are rapidly churning out groups to support the plight of the cider drinker with one called: “LEAVE OUR CIDER ALONE!” Within minutes of the Chancellor’s announcement the group appeared and has so far attracted 13,343 members. However, unfortunately for The Wurzels, the campaign to get “I am a Cider Drinker” to number one by Sunday so far contains only 346 members.
