Tory Tramp Tax

[Tezcatlipoca]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/20....conservatives


The Tories have proposed a plan to make it more expensive for homeless drinkers to buy Special Brew & Tennents Super. So expect to be asked for a bit more than "a little change" if the Tories get in power.

...Oh, OK, the actual aim of the plan is to cut the consumption of "problematic alcoholic drinks" favoured by "young binge drinkers" by raising the tax on them & increasing their cost.

Originally Posted by The Guardian

The Tories will propose:

· Trebling the duty on alcopops by increasing the price of a 275ml bottle of drinks such as WKD, Bacardi Breezer and Smirnoff Ice by more than 50p;

· Increasing the tax on super-strength beer, such as Carlsberg Special Brew and Tennents Super, and increasing the price of a 500ml can of 8.5% ABV beer by 32p;

· Doubling the tax on super-strength cider, such as Diamond White, and increasing the price of a three-litre bottle of 8.5% ABV cider by £1.25.

I don't think it will work.


Special Brew & Tennents Super are not favoured by any young people I know or see. There is a definite group who buy Special Brew etc., but they're not generally young...

Alcopops... yes, "younger binge drinkers" may well drink loads of them... but if they're binge drinkers, & their whole idea of a good night out is to "get totally smashed!!!!!", will they really care if the price goes up by 50p? Or will they simply buy something else that's cheaper, so long as it's got alcohol in it?

It's the mind set of a group that think it's ok to get bladdered on a Friday/Saturday night that needs to be changed.I think we have always been the falling down drunks of Europe anyway.The Normans thought us an intemperate bunch because the night before a battle our 'fighting army' would get drunk while they went off to confession.

We have to make it socially unacceptable to get so drunk,so regularly.

However when I hear of folk spending £40,£50,£60+ regularly for a night out I wonder how they can afford it.I think the Tories actually have their hearts in the right place for once as I can see what they are trying to do but as you say an extra 50p won't be enough to make them even pause.It would have to cost at least enough to cut the amount of alcohol they could buy for an entire evening.

[AntiSilence]

Yes, the price increase will affect the normal people who like to have a couple of alcopops every now and then without getting 'smashed'.

They'll have to pay more, while all the teenagers seem to have more money than most working adults for some reason.

Maybe if the parents actually took some responsibility and taught them about things like alcohol, there might not be such a problem. Maybe.

[Xaccers]

I can see Labour responding by increasing drinking age to 21, completely ignoring that it won't make a difference to kids under 18 who are still able to buy alcohol.

[Mr_love_monkey]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

..it won't make a difference to kids under 18 who are still able to buy alcohol.

Exactly - putting the price up by 50p isn't going to stop them - they need to stop the shops that are happy to sell to kids without ID, or knowingly sell to kids (and we all know there's lot of those shops) - and they need to stop the adults that buy for the kids - the kids hang around on the street asking people as they walk by to buy stuff for them, sooner or later someone does.

Doesn't matter how much you put the price up, the kids will still get it - the only people it's going to effect are those of us that do like a drink, and do drink responsibly.

When I read the thread header, I thought this was about Edwina Curry.........

[papa smurf]

another triumph for democrecy... so any one who drinks anything stronger than nats p gets punnished [where does this end] its all getting a bit george orwell ,is there a national stupid idea pool where all these barmy ideas come from

[Angua]

Yet another ill thought out knee jerk reaction, which in reality will penalise parents who cannot afford the high cost of drink in the pub as well as a babysitter

At least when most folk went to the pub to drink Mien Host knew the ages of most of the people in their establishment and the problem of under age drinking didn't exist.

But can anyone see a government stopping supermarkets selling cut price beer & wine then reducing the duty on alcohol sold in the pub & restricting off sales to off licences.

Originally Posted by Matt D

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/20....conservatives


The Tories have proposed a plan to make it more expensive for homeless drinkers to buy Special Brew & Tennents Super. So expect to be asked for a bit more than "a little change" if the Tories get in power.

...Oh, OK, the actual aim of the plan is to cut the consumption of "problematic alcoholic drinks" favoured by "young binge drinkers" by raising the tax on them & increasing their cost.





I don't think it will work.


Special Brew & Tennents Super are not favoured by any young people I know or see. There is a definite group who buy Special Brew etc., but they're not generally young...

Alcopops... yes, "younger binge drinkers" may well drink loads of them... but if they're binge drinkers, & their whole idea of a good night out is to "get totally smashed!!!!!", will they really care if the price goes up by 50p? Or will they simply buy something else that's cheaper, so long as it's got alcohol in it?

It will only work when it's to expensive to buy alcohol. Take Norway for example, a price for a pint of beer over there is somewhere in the region of £5 - £6 (our Money) If they make it that price over here it will kill the drunkenness overnight but, on the other hand it will kill the drinks industry overnight, something the government don't want because of the tax the government receives each year from the drinks industry.

If they lose the revenue from the drinks they'll get it from another source.

[Druchii]

Originally Posted by Nidge

It will only work when it's to expensive to buy alcohol. Take Norway for example, a price for a pint of beer over there is somewhere in the region of £5 - £6 (our Money) If they make it that price over here it will kill the drunkenness overnight but, on the other hand it will kill the drinks industry overnight, something the government don't want because of the tax the government receives each year from the drinks industry.

If they lose the revenue from the drinks they'll get it from another source.

Ah, but the problem too here, is that Children somehow manage to get hold of it here too. And, drink themselves into a stupor.

Although i have to admit it is mainly the 18 - 25 year olds who get drunk the most often, you should see em at about 3am when i'm heading into work, it's ridiculous. Walking out in front of traffic etc... Christ, i think a drunken 1 legged turtle would indeed, behave better.

[Mr_love_monkey]

Originally Posted by Druchii

Christ, i think a drunken 1 legged turtle would indeed, behave better.

Don't turtles have flippers??

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

Don't turtles have flippers??

Shurely that's pinball machines?

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

Don't turtles have flippers??

flippers a dolphin

[Mikey845]

You know this country really loves to come down hard on us young folk. Its the minority who cause the problems but the whole lot of us get painted with the same brush not exactly fair is it.

Originally Posted by Mikey845

You know this country really loves to come down hard on us young folk. Its the minority who cause the problems but the whole lot of us get painted with the same brush not exactly fair is it.

Unfortunately, life's not fair.