The chancellor of the exchequer has been heavily criticised over his rise in drinks duty.
Alistair Darling had said that the increases in the drinks duty were linked with the extra winter fuel payments for people over the age of 60, the Morning Advertiser reports.
However, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) chief executive, Nick Bish, said: "The chancellor's sums simply don't add up – indeed, it's a billion pound blunder. We already knew that the hikes in drinks duty had nothing to do with tackling binge drinking."
Mr Bish added that the chancellor is "hitting and hurting" Britain's pubs and bars for just one reason – "his huge budget deficit".
Figures from the Budget handbook reveal that the extra revenue raised over three years from drink duty will be almost £1 billion higher than the budget, which is set for extra winter fuel payments over the same amount of time.
The ALMR is a network of entrepreneurial retailers and industry suppliers which champions the independent companies that own and operate pubs, bars and restaurants.
