Tories plan alcohol tax hikes
Share
The Conservative Party plans to increase taxes on some high-strength lagers, cider and Ready To Drink brands as part of a plan to tackle the UK’s binge-drinking culture.
David Cameron
David Cameron (pictured), the Party’s leader, says a Tory Government would look closely at the “unbelievably low prices of some alcohol” in order to tackle the “massive problem” of “drink-related violence and drink-related crime”.
Tory plans include adding £1.30 to the cost of four cans of strong lager, while bottles of high-strength cider costing an extra £1.25 and alcopops an additional 50 pence.
The Tories latest move to tackle problem drinking follows a plan to ban “loss-leader” sales of alcohol in order to curb supermarkets planning cut-price alcohol.
It also recently announced a “three strikes” policy for pubs and clubs, who would lose their licences if found selling alcohol to under-age drinkers.
Cameron’s comments come three months after the Government unveiled proposals for a mandatory code on alcohol, which includes forcing supermarkets to display information on the health impacts of alcohol and a crackdown on “irresponsible” on-trade promotions.
The code, currently under consultation, has come under fire form the on-trade, with the British Beer & Pub Association (BPA) describing the proposals as an “ill conceived” notion that will increase costs during “acutely challenging times”.
Readers' comments (5)
Evi | Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:11 pm
This is not going to solve the country's alcohol problem! The issue lies in this country's culture and not the alcohol prices! Superficial measures to a long rooted issue!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Trevor Morton | Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:39 pm
Impressed, I am not. Binge is a cultural thing that Britain's town centres have marketted and exploited well. Attempts to reduce consumption by hiking up the tax DO NOT WORK. Look no further than Finland and other Scandi countries. Come on Mr. Cameron, get something substantive to say.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Clive Reffell | Thu, 20 Aug 2009 1:05 pm
A lot of cheap booze exists because the Labour Government changed the rules on drinks companies behaving more responsibly. When Chancellor, Gordon Brown introduced duty payable even on alcohol which is thrown away (a stealth tax). So any company with too much stock now sells it cheap to at least cover just the duty, and in doing so floods the market.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Paul Gostick | Thu, 20 Aug 2009 1:41 pm
This will not solve the country's binge drinking culture - it is a cultural problem. Attitudes need to change and increases taxes will not make a jot of difference other than to penalise the rest of us.
This is a typical brain-dead ill conceived political answer - tax, tax, tax... How disappointing - and I thought that the blunt instrument approach was Gordon's preserve.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Don | Thu, 20 Aug 2009 5:08 pm
cant see it working but it will increase tax revenue so I can see Conservative can become a stealth tax culture now as Labour have given them lessons
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment