The Wines and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) in the UK has launched a new campaign Call Time on Duty, urging the UK Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne to scrap alcohol super tax in the upcoming budget.

Currently, tax accounts for 79% of an average priced bottle of spirits, and 57% of an average priced bottle of wine. Since Osborne became chancellor, tax on wine and spirits grew by 25%.

Tax on wines and spirits grew by 50% and 44% respectively since 2008.

A new report from Ernst & Young (EY) found that employment growth in the wines and spirits area has been declining since the introduction of the alcohol duty escalator.

The report also noted scrapping of the alcohol super tax in the next budget would lead to a £230m rise in the wine and spirit industry’s contribution to public finances, apart from creating 6,000 new jobs in 2014.

Under the campaign, drinkers will be urged to e-mail their local MP and ask them to write to the chancellor through the calltimeonduty.co.uk website.

Introduced in 2008, the alcohol duty escalator is set to continue until 2015.

The EY report also found that the wine and spirit industry directly or indirectly supported 475,000 jobs in the UK last year.

WSTA CEO Miles Beale said that today’s report by EY shows that the alcohol duty escalator is bad for consumers, bad for the economy, and bad for business.

"So our message to the Chancellor is clear: if you’re serious about creating jobs, supporting growth and cutting taxes, then you need to be fair and call time on your inflation-busting alcohol super tax," Beale added.