I received a leaflet through my door today from the Tories, which features – in between charming photos of David Cameron and their candidate (who I have no intention of promoting) – a two page spread on saving local pubs.
The Tories have various plans to save local pubs, including ‘making sense of licensing laws’, but mostly it involves encouraging people to get down the pub.
Obviously aware of the potential inconsistency in encouraging people to drink in the pub more frequently while battling the ever-increasing problem of ‘binge-drinking’, the Tories then outline how they’ll reform alcohol duty to encourage the kind of ‘Continental-style drinking culture’ beloved of politicians and the media alike. (People on the European mainland don’t get drunk remember.)
After railing about increases in alcohol duty – ‘Gordon Brown’s beer tax’ – for two paragraphs, the Conservatives outline a series of further tax increases on the drinks which they consider to be the biggest issue. ‘Problem drinks’ such as ‘alcopops and high-strength beer and cider’ will be increased by around £1.50, while presumably people who drink low-strength drinks like wine, vodka and whiskey will be spared any increase in alcohol duty.
The pamphlet goes on: ‘Popular beers and ciders – including Carling, Guinness, Stella Artois, Strongbow and Magners – would not be affected.’ How Stella is not in the former category I have no idea.
I’m not going to claim to know how to tackle the issue of violence or anti-social behaviour fuelled by alcohol, but to claim that it is directly linked to particular drinks is – to use a suitable phrase almost as out of touch with reality as these proposals – balderdash and piffle.
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You cynical bastard, Townsend.
I try!