News on the BBC today that Scottish MP's are planning to introduce a bill to bring in a 'minimum price' for alcohol, in all probability based on a price per unit. They say it is to curb underage drinking and heavy drinkers but will not have too much of an effect on moderate/social drinkers. They say they are targeting cut-price booze deals, happy hours and supermarkets using alcohol as a loss-leader. This of course is absolute garbage.
Firstly, it will make alcohol unaffordable to those on low incomes. Of course they argue that so long as they are 'moderate' drinkers the effect will be minor but they are not in the real world. What will happen is cheap brands will be forced to put up prices while premier brands will already be above the threshold. Those on generous incomes will buy the premier branded beverages as always and the cheaper brands will go bust as they cannot compete on quality. People on modest incomes can, at the moment, afford to buy a few cases of whatever lager is on special in the supermarket and invite some friends round for a party. When cheap booze is banned they will have to charge an entry fee to their sitting room! On the other hand they could be so ashamed of not being able to offer a small amount of hospitality that they stop throwing parties and socialise less, widening the social divide that Liebour have created.
Even more pubs and clubs will go out of business. Many of Britain's licenced premises have gone out of business in the last few years due to cheap imported 'duty free' bootleg booze keeping people out of pubs and public order problems in city centres. They use 'happy hours' and discount nights to make ends meet. Why anyone would want to ban a 'happy hour' and promote a 'miserable existence' beggars belief really! In these times of economic hardship and high unemployment running around chasing happy hours or going out midweek to a 'discount night' is all the unemployed can afford without this legislation. Taking these away will be stealing the only outlet the unemployed and low-waged have for the boredom and depression caused by poverty. Discount nights do not mean binge drinkers paradise. I often go to a local city centre bar on a Thursday, pay £10 on the door then not worry about how much I am spending and there is a time limit on how often you can visit the bar to stop binge's. Without this I could not afford to socialise on JSA!!
I dare say this will keep a certain ideological group happy, as alcohol is the poison of the infidel. If anyone ever needed any proof that the SNP are just a branch of the Liebour party this is it. Totalitarianism and social control gaining cross party support? Why are there no politicians opposing this? Surely at least one has an opposing view? Or are they all following the same script? The subjugation of working-class Britain. To anyone who is thinking "Who cares its Scotland and I'm in England", remember who was first to have the smoking ban. The SNP get it through in Scotland then hold it up as an example to push it through in England.
Alcohol free pubs, that was an attempt at sarcasm before the smoking ban, now it would appear it is almost a reality.
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Well, in America they had to come for our guns, provoking the "shot heard around the world". Maybe this is what it will take in Scotland?
ReplyDeleteMy concern is that there are not enough people with both guts and common sense on either side of the Atlantic.
As usual the Scots are being used as a 'guniea pig'. The poll tax, smoking ban and various other hare-brained schemes were inflicted on them first to test the water!
ReplyDeleteNo doubt after a year or so we will also have this legislation forced upon us!
This is typical labour nonsense - punish the many for the crimes of the few!
Is underage drinking that much of a problem...
Or is it down to bad parenting?
Take away drink from the kids and they'll only start doing drugs!
Start doing drugs? They only buy Special Brew to was the E down and whet their whistle when the smoke to much hash.
ReplyDeleteMost Scot's think the SNP are a nationalist party that only does whats best for Scotland, they don't know they are getting roasted until it's too late. They are waking up though thank God.