Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Shock- Trade Body Supports Stifling Competition!

The Scottish Executive supports a minimum price for alcohol:
A spokesman for the SNP administration said: “The UK’s four Chief Medical Officers all back minimum pricing, and the BMA, Royal College of Nursing, the police, the British Liver Trust, and indeed the licensed trade association, all support the Scottish government’s proposals
The 'licensed trade association' is an organisation which (a) should really be capitalised and (b) is made up of " Hotels, Public Houses, Restaurants, Refreshment premises, Entertainment premises and also Off-sales premises.". In other words all bodies which compete against supermarkets and who would benefit if a minimum price was established to prevent the large supermarkets undercutting them.

They are quite open about existing for the benefit of their members so it is a bit odd for the Scottish executive to refer to them as backing a proposal designed to boost public health and reduce public order offences when that is clearly not something that has anything to do with them.