Booze won't be getting any more expensive – hurrah!

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to freeze alcohol duty today (Wednesday, November 22), when he is set to deliver a slightly-more pocket friendly budget in his Autumn Statement.

Although the current rates are pretty high – with most beers already seeing a £9.27 increase per litre if the alcohol by volume level is just 1.3%-3.4% – Hunt is said to be leaving it as it is, rather than adding more misery to the empty pockets of pub-loving Brits.

READ MORE: Five most dangerous places to live in the UK during World War 3 revealed by AI

For more booze news that won't make you snooze, click here.

He will deliver his booze-positive speech at 12.30pm today
He will deliver his booze-positive speech at 12.30pm today

In his speech set to be given at 12.30pm today, which leaks to the media way before it ends up in the House of Commons – much to the annoyance of Speaker Lindsay Hoyle every year – he will say: “After a global pandemic and energy crisis, we have taken difficult decisions to put our economy back on track.

“We have supported families with rising bills, cut borrowing and halved inflation. The economy has grown. Real incomes have risen. Our plan for the British economy is working.”

He will also talk about “backing British businesses”, such as pubs, with the freeze on alcohol duty seen as a big win for boozers around the country.

'CHEERS, LADS'
'Cheers, lads'

However, according to some industry experts, the price customers will pay at the bar won't actually change – but not for a good reason. Jack Orr-Ewing from rum makers Duppy Share told Drinks Retailing News that companies are now essentially watering down their products to save cash.

He said: “Now we’re seeing a lot of the industry reacting by reducing ABV. This will mean that the consumer price will be about the same, the government will make no more money, and the consumer gets an inferior product.”

And a spokesman for The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) said: “We have long argued that duty rises are counterproductive and lead to reduced sales which means less revenue to the Exchequer.”

The mini-budget is also set to contain a slight cut in personal income tax, which is another win for hard-up Brits, and another reason to pop to the pub for a pint in celebration.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.