40 U Turnns On Economy-Now Alcohol

DecentLivingWage

Looks like the Nos have it - minimum price for alcohol has been dropped. They were fighting and split down the middle of cabinet to the last minute - shane, would have been good for health and savings to NHS in the long term, probs Osborne can no longer afford it til his plan works and produces some growth.

purch

This does make the Government look even more pathetic and divided than ever.

mystic_trev

purch wrote: »

This does make the Government look even more pathetic and divided than ever.

I'll drink to that!

kaya

it wouldnt have stopped people from drinking, just made more people partake in crime to get the extra money to buy booze with

CLAPTON

more a policy for left wing control freaks who don't believe in liberty or personal responsibility;
so best be buried and forgotten.

Graham_Devon

purch wrote: »

This does make the Government look even more pathetic and divided than ever.

It does.

But heres yet something else that the EU may have stopped anyway. We'll never know now, but it aint looking easy for Scotland to get it through.

The government is becoming weaker by the day.

N1AK

kaya wrote: »

it wouldnt have stopped people from drinking, just made more people partake in crime to get the extra money to buy booze with

Based on your expert analysis and experience I'm sure?

The fact is that their is plenty of evidence that minimum unit pricing and banning offers on alcohol will decrease consumption both in general and among problem groups; anyone saying otherwise is at best ignorant and at worse outright lying.

Having said that it seems bizarre that the government was going to massively increase the profit margin on low value alcoholic drinks. There are also plenty of questions about whether this is really the most effective way to tackle alcohol abuse and how it fits into a wider strategy (if we even accept the notion that there is a wider strategy).

SailorSam

When i was in the pub last night i asked for a pint of Less but they had none. The barman said he'd never heard of it and what was it.
I told him i wasn't sure but my doctor had advised i drink Less.

kaya

"The fact is that their is plenty of evidence that minimum unit pricing and banning offers on alcohol will decrease consumption both in general and among problem groups; anyone saying otherwise is at best ignorant and at worse outright lying.

Based on your experience and expert analasys I'm sure ?

vivatifosi

The news this morning (Sky?) saying that key people in the Cabinet had refused to support David Cameron on this. Named May, Pickles and Gove as among those that wouldn't back. May also made a speech this week that some are saying is her pitch for the leadership. Gove has spoken out against her. My sense is that there's a lot of disharmony going on behind the scenes and that's before you even involve the LibDems.

BlondeHeadOn

I must admit, I am in two minds myself about this policy (not that anyone is likely to ask me anyway, but still...)

I'm in favour of initiatives that help curb problem drinking, but against the artificial setting of a minimum price for alcohol becuase that hits everyone who buys alcohol - including all those people who don't have much spare money but want to have a tipple as a treat at the weekend.

Also who gets the benefit of the extra profit brought in by the minimum price setting?

:undecided