Pubs still victim of booze hysteria

There's been much comment recently on the lack of unity within the industry, but disunity reigns even more supremely in Government when it comes to the on-going and thorny issue of combating alcohol-related disorder.

Last week Health Secretary Andy Burnham said a minimum price of 40p to 50p per unit should form part of Labour's election manifesto. "The mood has changed and there is rising public concern," he proclaimed. "There is no shortage of research that shows the link with price and people drinking harmful levels of alcohol — there is no debate about that."

Strong words, but Gordon Brown has maintained his opposition, albeit with the slightest hint that he could budge. His spokesman said: "It would not at this stage be sensible." Translation: "Raising people's grocery bills won't win me the next election, but if the pressure to act continues, I'll look again."

As this magazine has argued in the past, minimum pricing, while lovely in theory, may not be the fix-all solution that some believe. And it could backfire on pubs if Government does takes control of pricing. But the fact that the latest version of the mandatory alcohol retailing code, released this week, contains no action against off-trade pricing seems perverse.

Health loonies​

Instead, the Government is looking to get brownie points from the health loonies and the Daily Mail et al by targeting pubs through ludicrously steep punishments for breaches of the new code.

While action against some of the more ridiculous drinks deals are welcome, other sections of the code should cause worry for all licensees and raise a number of questions. How, for example, can it be proven that an individual looks under 18?

Another question: where's Peter Mandelson in all this? He wanted the code shelved, seeing it as an unnecessary burden for businesses in the recession. So, is his power in the Government waning?

Or perhaps he is concentrating on other issues, such as the beer tie — his business department is set to respond to the damning Business & Enterprise Committee's report later this year.

Incidentally, I wouldn't expect the Tories to be any more united on the alcohol question if they get to power. The party's health spokesman Andrew Lansley accused Labour of being in a "complete mess over alcohol pricing", but splits have occurred within Tory ranks too.

The Party's stated policy is to ban below-cost alcohol sales. But Shadow Health Minister Mike Penning told the Morning Advertiser last month: "I've not said I want to ban it. I've said I have a real concern about it."

Disunity could reign for some time to come and, as always, pubs will remain in the firing line.