Chancellor accused of delivering ‘historic blow’ to Scotch whisky industry

The Scotch Whisky Association said the rise in alcohol duty from Jeremy Hunt was the ‘largest tax increase for decades’ for the sector.

Scotch whisky has been hit with an ‘historic blow’ in the Budget, industry leaders insisted (Jane Barlow/PA)

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has been accused of delivering an “historic blow” to Scotland’s whisky industry as he increased alcohol duty.

In his Budget statement, the Chancellor confirmed duties on alcohol would “go up in line with inflation in the usual way” after the current freeze ends on August 1.

The Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) claimed the 10.1% increase in duty from that would be the “largest tax increase for decades” on the sector.