UK: CAMRA opposes Tory alcohol proposals

A Conservative Party think-tank is expected to publish a report this week which will propose to increase the price of a pint by 7p, 15p to a bottle of wine and 25p to a bottle of whisky, The Publican reported July 9.

Mike Benner, chief executive of CAMRA, said: “The proposals made by the Social Policy Justice Group are as flawed as they are naive. Iain Duncan Smith MP has said that an extra £400 million would be generated by these proposals, and yet he claims the aim is to persuade people to drink less.

“Surely if the Tories believe that a price hike would stop the British people from drinking then there would be less revenue for them to wring their hands over.”

He argued a beer tax will lead to people buying alcohol in the supermarket and not going to the pub.

“The drop in trade will force pubs to close and communities that use those pubs will lose yet another valuable amenity," he added.

“In addition there will be an increase in cheap alcohol being smuggled in from lower tax countries, further eroding the Treasury’s cut and promoting uncontrolled and underage drinking.”

CAMRA added that binge-drinking and alcohol misuse should be tackled through targeted education.

11 July, 2007