From the BBC:
The prime minister has voiced support for councils wanting to stop the sale of cheap alcohol. David Cameron said plans in Greater Manchester to introduce a minimum price of 50p per unit would be looked at "very sympathetically"... But he said while he supported local decisions, he did not want to introduce a national minimum price.
I suppose you could argue, if it's just some local councils who do this, then once it provably and demonstrably hasn't had any measurable positive effect, at least they'll drop it all again.
Nope, actual facts and evidence count for nothing in this game, and more and more councils will do it - anybody who voices objections will be accused of wanting to encourage binge drinking or being an alcoholic - and once there are only a few councils left who don't impose minimum prices, that's when they'll go national with this.
No wonder he's never around
1 hour ago
11 comments:
On the other hand MW had the Coalition brought in the referendum pledge (local) as quick as they have other measures we cud all decide this rather than the numpties-in-training that sit on local authorities.
WfW I fear that the populace is so thought controlled that they'd think it a good idea.
The answer is as Henry George said:
to decrease the price of alcohol so bar owners,publicans cannot make a living from pushing drunkenness and have to diversify into food and entertainment.
Since his land tax is continued outlandish,it is not surprising that this proposal gets short shrift.
If it doesnt work, they will only cite it as evidence they havent raised prices enought.
None so blind as those that won't see.
He added: "I think if what you're trying to do is stop supermarkets from selling 20 tins of Stella for a fiver that's what we've got to go after."
I don't know where Cameron shops but it's not at my local supermarket. Nothing like being out of touch with the taxpayer subsidised bars of westminster.
Action was needed to stop Britain's town and city centres "resembling the wild west" in the evenings as a result of drink-fuelled disorder, the PM said.
One for the Daily Mail.
The rise in alcohol consumption over the past 20 years is due to the middle-aged, middle-classes:-
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=beer+consumption+uk
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=wine+consumption+uk
I live on the edge of Greater Manchester. I have a choice of two supermarkets. One is within Greater Manchester and the other isn't. I predict very short "booze cruises" ahead.
I'd like to take iDave out for a Saturday night in Central Manchester. It isn't like that at all. I have lived around here for years and it feels perfectly safe. It's probably not a good idea mind. We have canals and I might just be tempted...
Oh, and what Anon @ 12 August 2010 09:17 said. Any crack-down that fails is "proof" it wasn't draconian enough.
WFW, that's why they won't have local referenda.
L, I'm not sure what people think, but few would dare campaign openly against such a minimum price for reasons outlined in my post.
DBC, do you mean set a maximum price (thus rendering the business unviable) or just reducing VAT/duties on alcohol?
Anon1, indeed. See also 'War On Drugs' which has been an outright success so far.
Anon2, indeed! That quote was off the scale of political idiocy. In most places the best deal you can get is probably a six pack of Stella for £5.
JT, that link is buggered.
NickM, exactly! So one council after another will fall into line until Whitehall decides it's time to go national.
Pass. Go to the Wolfram Alpha site and search for "beer consumption uk" and "wine consumption uk".
Not sure where this idea about young people drinking more is coming from, but I'll be impressed if young 'uns are drinking more than me and my friends did in our early 20s.
They will probably find out eventually that stuff like this is not within the powers of local councils or indeed of the puppet administration in Westminster.
It's reserved to the actual real government in Brussels, who take a dim view on restraints of trade like this.
Of course, it may take some time before the wheels grind, but grind they will.
JT, it's OK, I've tracked them down.
WY, we've had that debate before. The EU will only step in if it distorts trade, i.e. gives domestic producers an advantage over importers - which is why wine became a lot cheaper in the 1980s, because the UK govt had to align wine duty with beer duty (for which we can all be grateful - the UK govt could have simply hiked beer duty).
The EU is indifferent as to alcohol duty (however high or low) which would be the neatest way of hiking alcohol prices.
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