Hard blow to whisky industry as cost of bottle of Scotch is set to increase

RACHEL Reeves delivered a brutal blow to the Scotch whisky industry in her tax-raising budget.

- BY DOUGLAS DICKIE

Despite calls to support one of Scotland’s biggest export sectors, she refused to cut alcohol duty, and also committed to increasing it in line with RPI inflation from February 1.

The Chancellor claimed the decision “balances the important contribution of alcohol producers and the hospitality sector to the UK’s culture and economy, with the duty’s role in reducing alcohol harm”. But the Scotch Whisky Association said it will pile “additional pressure on a sector suffering job losses, stalled investment and business closures”.