Booze - minimum price?

[Mick F]

In Scotland, there is a 50p per unit minimum price for alcoholic drinks.
Here in Bonny England, we have no such law.

Been buying Old Speckled Hen in cans from Tesco at £20 for two boxes of ten ie one 500ml can for a quid.
2.5UK units per can at 5% abv ......... it says on the cans ........ just looked.
Over the border, the minimum price would be £1.25 a can ie 25% higher than here.

If you lived in southern Scotland, would it would be worth popping south to a Tesco and filling the car boot up?

Do people do this?

[100%JR]

In Scotland, there is a 50p per unit minimum price for alcoholic drinks.
Here in Bonny England, we have no such law.

Been buying Old Speckled Hen in cans from Tesco at £20 for two boxes of ten ie one 500ml can for a quid.
2.5UK units per can at 5% abv ......... it says on the cans ........ just looked.
Over the border, the minimum price would be £1.25 a can ie 25% higher than here.

If you lived in southern Scotland, would it would be worth popping south to a Tesco and filling the car boot up?

Do people do this?

I would think it depends on how far over the border the nearest Supermarket is?
We were in Scotland in August and the Wine in the Co-op was the same price as back home.Wine in the Co-op in Keswick,Cumbria is around £1 a bottle dearer though
I thought the "minimum" price per unit was only on high abv beers/ciders....ie Tramp-juice?

[NUKe]

Not sure if people do as Mick Suggests, but it has caused a drop in the sale of strong beers such as Special brew and white lightening , and the Scottish health Authority seem to be pleased with the results. This is about trying to protect the vulnerable and to reduce the number of alcohol units being consumed
https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l5274
results are toward the bottom if you don't want to read it all .

[Paulatic]

Here’s a story for you https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1794 ... m-pricing/

So it might be that once again Scotland leads the way and it’ll be coming to you one day. There are benefits https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l5274

I see Nuke beat me there

[rjb]

We were visiting some friends in Elgin during the summer. We were very surprised at how cheap beer was in Weatherspoons compared to down south.!
And no I haven't lost my marbles.

[Oldjohnw]

Large numbers come to both Berwick and Carlisle. I've seen them.

[Mick F]

Large numbers come to both Berwick and Carlisle. I've seen them.

This is what I thought may be happening.

Even just the Old Speckled Hen I mentioned would be worth the trip. Only 5% abv but 25p per can saving ......... that is 25% on a quid a can in England.

[rjb]

Is this in the right thread?
or should it go in the brexit one.
You can all afford to drown your sorrows.

[Sweep]

We were visiting some friends in Elgin during the summer. We were very surprised at how cheap beer was in Weatherspoons compared to down south.!
And no I haven't lost my marbles.

??

cheaper than the spoons you frequent down south?

On the main topic, serious as alcohol abuse is I don't support minimum pricing at all.

Clearly it discriminates against those with less money - those more flush will just carry on knocking back as much as strong as they want.

[fausto copy]

Minimum pricing is coming to Wales in March 2020 too.
Won't bother me, with my average beer intake of 1 pint per month.

[Mick F]

On the main topic, serious as alcohol abuse is I don't support minimum pricing at all.
Clearly it discriminates against those with less money - those more flush will just carry on knocking back as much as strong as they want.

I utterly agree.
I can afford to knock back a few beers a night. If I can get it cheap, all well and good, but if I have to pay 25% more, so what?

It's a seriously regressive tax.

[PH]

It's a seriously regressive tax.

It isn't a tax at all

[Sweep]

It's a seriously regressive tax.

It isn't a tax at all

splitting hairs.

You know what mick meant and I agree with him.

It may as well be a conventional tax as far as purchasers are concerned.

For of course a government has artificially raised the price of a product.

And in any case, if the price of a sold product goes up, presumably that increases the tax take.

Or is booze zero rated?

Along with cocaine snorted by metropolitan types?

[PH]

It's a seriously regressive tax.

It isn't a tax at all

splitting hairs.

That's an opinion, though I don't find calling things something which they obviously are not so easy to dismiss.

[Oldjohnw]

I am not in the least pedantic, but...

A tax collects money for the exchequer. This doesn't, at least not directly. Obviously higher prices mean higher tax as it is a percentage. On the other hand it is likely that within Scotland sales - and therefore tax take - will fall