AN MP fears small breweries could be 'priced out' and has written a letter to the Chancellor calling on him to support local breweries and halt their proposed changes to the Small Breweries Relief fund.

Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon highlighted that small breweries, as well as employing people in ‘communities all across the country’, are also an ‘essential part of British culture’.

Ms Moran notes that changes would mean ‘huge monopolisation of the industry, with smaller breweries being completely priced out’ which could ‘devastate the industry'.

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Ms Moran said: “Small breweries like Loose Canon Brewery and many others across Oxfordshire, and the country, are an essential part of British culture. They employ people communities across the country and provide choice and competition for the consumer.

“They are set to lose out badly from these reforms. This could devastate the industry locally and nationally and lead to a chronic lack of competition. The huge breweries will be able to survive these changes, smaller ones may not.

“In light of the coronavirus pandemic causing a major shock to the economy, this is not the right time to be making things harder for our local breweries and threatening local jobs.”