SWA congratulates new PM Rishi Sunak

Commenting on Rishi Sunak becoming the next UK Prime Minister, Mark Kent, Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said:

“On behalf of the members of the SWA, I want to congratulate Rishi Sunak on becoming the next Prime Minister.

“As Chancellor, he stepped in to support the economy through the Covid-19 pandemic, and we now need a similar level of focus on the UK economy to weather the inflationary storm

“The Scotch Whisky industry faces rising energy costs, supply chain pressures and fragile consumer confidence. The reversal of the freeze on alcohol duty further dented industry confidence, and we call on the new Prime Minister to work with the Chancellor to reinstate the duty freeze at next week’s fiscal event.

“Doing so would bolster confidence, and back our industry that has a strong track record of providing investment and jobs through tough times. Duty freezes have consistently increased the tax take of the Treasury, and we urge the government not to jeopardise this with no guarantee of an economic return.

“We also look forward to working with the new Prime Minister to grow Scotch Whisky exports, including through a trade deal with India which reduces the current 150% tariff on Scotch Whisky.

“This is a challenging time but, with the right support from government, the Scotch Whisky industry stands ready to work with the new administration to continue to deliver much needed economic growth.”

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