Our reporter ben king has the details. When drinkers gather at londons King Charles Pub this evening, there will be a new tax regime in place. Changes announced in March Come Into Effect today taxing stronger drinks more and weaker drinks less. At the same time, Alcohol Duties rise with inflation up by io. I . The result a complex series of changes. 12 sparkling wine will be i9p cheaper as higher rates for fizz are abolished. A can of pre mixed gin and tonic will be 5p cheaper. But a bottle of 12 still wine will rise 44p. A bottle of vodka up 76p and a bottle of 20 port up £1. 30. So among drinkers, there will be some winners and losers. But the wine and spirits industry, which sees many of its products hit with higher taxes, says customers will see higher prices and less choice. We have the biggest duty increase in almost 50 years at the same time as we have inflation rife and a cost of living crisis. On top of that, we have Raw Materials like glass that are increasing in price expon
# shine a light on me. and we ll bejoined by two generations of rock icons as theyjoin forces for an album of duets. suzi quatro and kt tunstall will be here just before eight. despite the fact we have rain and showers this morning, today will be drier and not as windy as yesterday. the outlook remains unsettled. all the details later. it s tuesday, 1st of august, our main story. the price of some wines and spirits will rise from today, while the cost of weaker drinks will fall aftera majorshake up to alcohol taxation. the new system aims to simplify alcohol duties by taxing according to strength. our reporter ben king has the details.
katy austin is here. strike action at one of the uk s busiest airports, during what s set to be the busiest summer since before covid, will be an unwelcome prospect for thousands of holidaymakers hoping for a smoother time after last year s issues. today, the unite union announced strikes at gatwick airport from? friday, 28th ofjuly to tuesday, 1st of august, then friday, 4th of august to tuesday the 8th. airlines bring in specialist companies to do keyjobs like baggage handling and check in. 950 workers doing those sorts ofjobs at these companies are set to walk out. the union claims that s more than half the workforce. and it says the companies have failed to make good enough pay offers. easyjet, the airline with the biggest presence at gatwick, told us it was extremely disappointed by the strike announcement. and the airport itself said it would support airlines with contingency plans, so as many flights as possible run as scheduled.