Connoisseurs of super-strength lager disappointed by Budget

APPRECIATORS of super-strength lager’s complex flavours feel they have been ignored in Rachel Reeves’ budget. 

The reduction in duty on draught beers, applauded by normal drinkers, does not extend to more challenging high-percentage lagers favoured by connoisseurs and traditionally enjoyed on park benches.

64-year-old bon viveur Roy Hobbs, of no fixed abode, said: “I appreciate powerful, reasonably priced lager on a purely aesthetic level.

“However there is a stigma attached to lager of a strength above 8%, specifically the ridiculous notion that it is the preserve of so-called ‘pissheads’. 

“Surely we need to encourage more people to enjoy the sublime pleasures of Spesh or Super T, and also mysterious Eastern European shit called things like ‘Teufelhammer 12%’ that you only get in corner shops.

“A modest reduction in price would achieve a greater uptake of these fine drinks, and would also be helpful when you’re scraping together a handful of small change to buy your next can. 

“I would ask Rachel Reeves to consider an additional emergency budget, specifically reducing duty on drinks such as Kestrel Super, and perhaps also budget fortified wines such as MD 20/20. For the ladies, obviously.”

A Treasury spokesperson said there were no current plans to make extra-strength lagers cheaper, but if you are that desperate you could always try drinking lighter fluid.

Hobbs added: “May I ask, do you have some change? Perhaps a pound. I need to avail myself of a bus.”

Loving text from dad obviously a scam

A WARM, loving message from a father is clearly a scam designed to trick his son out of money.

Steve Malley, 26, easily saw through an unprompted text message full of praise and sincerity, realising it was obviously just an attempt to con him out of thousands of pounds.

Malley said: “Whoever’s impersonating my dad almost got me by opening with a blunt ‘hi’, but when he started going on about how proud he’s always been of me I knew something was up.

“My dad only texts me to wish me a curt happy birthday or to ask if there’s anywhere to park near my flat, so to suddenly start gushing about how I’ve grown into a fine young man was deeply odd. The wildly out-of-character kiss at the end confirmed my suspicions.

“On the surface it might look like my dad’s developed some basic emotional intelligence, but I reckon someone’s stolen his phone and is trying to con his contacts or he’s been hacked by the Kremlin. That’s far more likely.

“Also, if my dad really wanted some money, he’d do the normal thing of guilt-tripping me into it by reminding me how expensive I was to raise.”

Fraud expert Nikki Hollis said: “If you get an even slightly sincere text from someone claiming to be your dad, it’s fake. Delete it immediately and block the number. But you probably know that already.”