By Mark Kent Slashing excise duty on spirits is a popular move that brings money into the Treasury coffers – so why have only three Chancellors ever done it? Asks Mark Kent When George Osborne cut the duty on spirits in 2015, he did so at a time when the OBR predicted the move would cost the Treasury, but it didn’t. It brought in more money. It boosted our industry’s investment, and it delivered more cash to the Chancellor. He wasn’t the first Chancellor to cut duty, but he was only the third. Anthony Barber did it in 1973 while the inimitable Ken Clarke did it twice – in 1995 and 1996. Other …