A YEAR TO SAVE ONE IN FIVE PUBS

Fears over booze duty rises & Tory Brexit flop

- DAVE BURKE

ONE in five pub and bar owners fear they will close by this time next year due to the Tory tax rise on spirits.

Around 9,000 could be lost unless the 10.1% hike is cut, research has revealed.

And the Brexit Pubs Guarantee brought in last year by then-Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to freeze tax on beer has not helped many struggling boozers.

The UK Spirits Alliance has urged Rachel Reeves to slash the duty on the likes of whisky and gin, claiming the increase cost the Treasury £300million in lost tax receipts as fewer punters are buying the drinks.