Wetherspoon founder calls for beer duty moratorium

By Matthew Scuffham

LONDON (Reuters) - JD Wetherspoon's (JDW.L) Chairman and founder Tim Martin has called for beer duty to be held at current levels for the next five years to encourage drinkers back into Britain's beleaguered pubs.

He also demanded that legislation granting bar staff increased statutory holiday entitlements be scrapped.

"We've already got the highest excise duty in Europe for beer. I want a moratorium for five years," Martin said in a telephone interview.

"No more tax increases until we're on a par with other countries and no more self regulation that passes costs onto business like the 5 million pounds we're paying this year for extra holidays which not one of my staff has ever asked for," he added.

Martin said the pub industry, in common with many other businesses, has been strongly affected by increases in tax and regulation in recent years.

In the current year, he reckons increases in excise duty on alcoholic drinks, minimum wage related costs and the increased statutory holiday entitlements will cost Wetherspoon an extra 16 million pounds in costs.

Martin told Reuters he had been rebuffed when he attempted to discuss licensing regulations with the government.

He stopped short, however, of backing Punch Chief Executive Giles Thorley's call earlier this week for Chancellor Alistair Darling to step down.