Budget 2024: Furious pub owners accuse Labour of doing 'nothing to help' struggling boozers - as Jeremy Clarkson weighs in and punters ridicule penny off pint

Furious pub chiefs have accused the Chancellor of 'doing nothing' to help Britain's beleaguered booze industry - as punters today ridiculed her 'penny off a pint' pledge. Rachel Reeves has put Britain on a course to high tax, high spending and high borrowing in tomorrow's Budget - as the Chancellor unveiled her plans to hike alcohol duty Celebrity publican Jeremy Clarkson called Sir Keir Starmer 's government 'hopeless' following the Chancellor's announcement As part of her plans to try and overhaul public finances, Ms Reeves - who is just 118 days into her term as Britain's first female Chancellor - hiked bus fares, national insurance, and capital gains tax. Labour appeared to boast about the new announcement in a post on social media However, people online ridiculed the announcement by the Chancellor with memes Others joked about the impact the news would have on Britain's struggling pubs Former Top Gear star James May also joked online about the the Budget announcement Rupert Thompson, managing director of Hogs Back Brewery in Surrey, said he was 'disappointed' in the announcement. The price of a pint at pub will go down marginally thanks to the Chancellor's new Budget Critics fear the Chancellor's Budget could have a 'catastrophic' impact on Britain's pub trade, which is still reeling following the Covid pandemic and cost-of-living crisis Budget 2024: Key points Rachel Reeves became the first female chancellor to present a Budget today as she presented Labour's first government economic plan for 14 years. Rachel Reeves has put Britain on a course to high tax, high spending and high borrowing in tomorrow's Budget - as the Chancellor unveiled her plans to hike cigarette and vaping duties Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said the alcohol duty increase was an 'important moment for public health'.