A DRAM DISGRACE

The wrong decision at the wrong time.. Distillers' fury after Hunt's punishing tax hike leaves Scotch industry on the rocks

- CHRIS McCALL

JEREMY Hunt has been accused of taking a hammer blow to Scotland's whisky industry after he slapped a 10 per cent tax hike on distillers.

The Tory Chancellor left drinks producers furious after he announced a huge increase in alcohol duty as part of his 2023 Budget statement.

The whisky industry accused Hunt of breaking a previous UK Government's pledge to "review alcohol duty to ensure our tax system is supporting Scottish whisky".

The Chancellor increased duty across all four alcohol categories - with relief provided only for on-draught products, which make up fewer than half of those sold behind the bar.