Budget to be held on March 24
10 March, 2010
Prime Minister says the government has steered the economy through a storm
The Budget is to be held on March 24, Gordon Brown confirmed this morning.
The Prime Minister announced the date of the Budget as he gave a speech in Docklands in East London where he said the Labour government had guided the economy “through a storm”.
The Budget will be the last chance for the government – and Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling – to outline Labour’s plans for the economy and set in place policies they hope to be able to carry out following the general election, now widely expected to take place on May 6.
UK brewers will be hoping – probably against hope – that the Chancellor will peg duty on beer, with some calling for a freeze on beer duty and a simultaneous increase in taxes on products like cider and wine, to bring them in line.
Keith Bott, the newly elected chairman of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), has called for progressive beer duty (PBD) to be extended to include major brewers.