Scotland the Trailblazer!

[JMN2]

EU law breaches needn't bother us anymore, Brexit has many consequences and one of them is that alcohol sales can have a minimum price. I thought the UK was in a danger of becoming a low regulation red tape free environment but luckily that does not seem to be the case.

Now that EU is soon out of the way we can really start to plan how to micro-manage business and private life.

[dionaeamuscipula]

EU law breaches needn't bother us anymore, Brexit has many consequences and one of them is that alcohol sales can have a minimum price. I thought the UK was in a danger of becoming a low regulation red tape free environment but luckily that does not seem to be the case.

Now that EU is soon out of the way we can really start to plan how to micro-manage business and private life.

Not so. The Supreme Court have ruled that the minimum pricing regulations DO NOT breach EU law. The Courts have long held that it does not breach UK law. Brexit is therefore irrelevant in this matter.

http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKSC/2017/76.html

Since the UK government has been at pains to confirm that they will bring all EU laws and regulations into force in UK law post Brexit, it is unlikely that Brexit will have any significant effect on regulation, at least in my lifetime.

DM

[scotia]

As the previous respondent said - this decision by the Scottish Parliament is not affected by Brexit leave or remain.
I personally think it is a worthwhile piece of legislation, but may only have a marginal effect.
It will not affect Pub prices - so Beerpig's Snug will be unaffected.
The major drink of choice of the yobs in Scotland is Buckfast Tonic Wine - and it also will be unaffected. It sells for around £7 in 75cl bottles with 15% alcohol, whereas the minimum price will be under £6. Its particular vice is the amount of caffeine it is also loaded with.

[Itsallaguess]

The major drink of choice of the yobs in Scotland is Buckfast Tonic Wine - and it also will be unaffected. It sells for around £7 in 75cl bottles with 15% alcohol, whereas the minimum price will be under £6. Its particular vice is the amount of caffeine it is also loaded with.

Also known as 'Wreck the hoose juice' and 'Commotion lotion'.....

More caffeine than Red-Bull.....

Made by Benedictine Monks of all people.

Bless.......

Itsallaguess

[Slarti]

I predict the setting up of booze barns in Berwick, Carlisle and Byrness and a brisk cross border trade.

Slarti

[JMN2]

Just what we need, more drunken Jocks south of the border!

[Dod101]

I reckon that like the smoking ban, MUP will soon be adopted in England as well. Whilst I am no supporter of the SNP I think it is sensible and it is not really a regressive tax on the poor. The whole idea is to discourage them from buying the stuff. What bothers me slightly though is why the benefit should go to the retailer or other middleman in the supply chain. I would have preferred it to have been a tax but that would have been politically unpopular and would I suppose have lifted the entire price range but maybe that would have been no bad thing.

Dod

[malkymoo]

Great headline in the i today, "Dram Busters".

[didds]

Whilst I am no supporter of the SNP I think it is sensible and it is not really a regressive tax on the poor. The whole idea is to discourage them from buying the stuff.

y..e...ee...sss... but booze tends to have an inelastic demand (or so i recall from my O&A-Level economics!] so it may well in effect not actually discourage them from drinking overly. We'll see if Mr Redmond and Mr Smith were right!

didds

[gryffron]

Yeah. Steal money from the poor and use it to line the pockets of big business. Very "progressive" Ms S.

What's to stop Tesco (et al) offering 1,000 "bonus" reward points on alcohol purchases? And thus in practice lowering the price back to where it was before? Or offering home delivery on alcohol from their subsidiary in Berwick? Just a thought. I can see many potential pitfalls in this.

Gryff

[robbelg]

I was in Tesco this afternoon, I didn't look at beer or cider but,going by the figures being quoted on TV news this morning, none of their spirits or wines would be affected by this. ( England not Scotland )

Rob

[Alaric]

What's to stop Tesco (et al) offering 1,000 "bonus" reward points on alcohol purchases?

Part of the law prohibited the offering of deals and promotions on alcohol.

[vrdiver]

So, our Scottish cousins will no longer be able to buy cheap booze.

Those affected are the young (who will start their night with supermarket alcohol before going out on the town, and the alcoholics who need to buy more than they can afford.

Not affected are the pub and restaurant goers, or those drinking more upmarket alcohol where the minimum price is already achieved.

Students have never been too worried about nanny state laws being broken and those in need of a fix will still be in need.

All I see happening is illegal alternatives filling the gap and those close to the border setting up booze runs.

Expect A&E departments to see an increase in drug overdose patients and a flurry of black market booze outlets appear.

This may turn out to be a complete disaster, with the law of unintended consequences achieving the exact opposite of what is desired, but by the time anybody can prove it, the retailers won't want to reduce prices and the government won't want to lose face.

This is one to watch before copying!

[gryffron]

This may turn out to be a complete disaster, with the law of unintended consequences achieving the exact opposite of what is desired, but by the time anybody can prove it, the retailers won't want to reduce prices and the government won't want to lose face.

Or. It will dramatically reduce consumption.
Or. It may support small retailers against the mighty supermarkets. Remember, France had a minimum price for bread for many years, which lead to a plethora of small patisseries on every street corner. An effect which has survived decades after the minimum bread price was removed.
Or... yes, it might be a complete disaster resulting in a flood of bootleg and homebrew alcohol.

This is one to watch before copying!

Now there I agree. Unfortunately others (specifically Wales) seem very keen to follow the trend before the effects are known.

Gryff

[AleisterCrowley]

...I would have preferred it to have been a tax but that would have been politically unpopular and would I suppose have lifted the entire price range but maybe that would have been no bad thing.

Dod

Ach NO! Do you know how much tax there is on booze already ?! It'd put even more pubs out of business

[scotia]

Ach NO! Do you know how much tax there is on booze already ?! It'd put even more pubs out of business

And setting a minimum price (still below the pub price) meant that the publicans all provided enthusiastic support for the legislation.