I see that Nanny is laying plans for a minimum price of alcohol to be set, her theory being that this will eliminate "binge drinking".
Nanny plans to ensure that weak lager cannot be sold for less that 38p a can (I have to pay around £1 for my 4.8% Red Stripe!), and a litre of vodka cannot be sold for less than £10.71.
Here's why this plan is bollocks:
1 In the Nordic countries there are heavy duties on booze, eg in Finland half a litre of beer costs £5.85 and plonk is £20.90 a bottle. However, I can assure you that these countries still have high rates of alcohol abuse (people brew their own); additionally the high duties are contrary to EU rules (people go abroad and bring in gallons of cheap booze anyway).
2 Drinking is part of the national culture, whether Nanny likes it or not. In Julius Caesar's time Romans wrote back home complaining about the rain, fighting and British capacity for drinking themselves senseless.
3 Nanny is in no position to dictate to us what and how much we should drink. Our "respected" MPs have access to bars and restaurants that are open outwith normal hours, and serve subsidised booze (courtesy of our taxes).
4 Violent behaviour stems from the moronic mindsets and "characters" of the individuals concerned. I can drink gallons, but do not end up hitting people, putting my feet up on seats or behaving in an "anti social" manner.
5 We are now living longer (as Nanny keeps lamenting). The costs on our health care system of looking after an ever increasing elderly and infirm population are not sustainable. Maybe it is better for the our happiness, and the tax burden, that we be allowed to enjoy ourselves and die a little bit earlier?
As said, the plan is bollocks.
Sad to see it comes from a government that claims it is trying to roll back the frontiers of the state!
Visit The Orifice of Government Commerce and buy a collector's item.
Visit The Joy of Lard and indulge your lard fantasies.
Show your contempt for Nanny by buying a T shirt or thong from Nanny's Store.
www.nannyknowsbest.com is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Celebrate the joy of living with booze. Click and drink!
Visit Oh So Swedish Swedish arts and handicrafts
Why not really indulge yourself, by doing all the things that Nanny really hates? Click on the relevant link to indulge yourselves; Food, Bonking, Gifts and Flowers, Groceries
Although I hate to be fair to the ConDom Government only two types of drink are actually affected: cheap chemical fizz masquerading as "lager", and vodka. All other drinks are sold above the minimum price so are unaffected.
ReplyDeleteLooks as though the original grand plan ended up being watered down (groan!)
First they came for the chemical fizz drinkers, and I didn't speak out because I didn’t drink chemical fizz.......
ReplyDeleteThat must mean they have taken their anti smoking drive as far as they can without banning it altogether whilst still making a fortune in tax on it; they are now turning towards drinkers......Watch out fatties, you'll be next.
ReplyDeleteResistance is futile, you will be assimilated.
Definately the banning industry will make another move this is just the foot in the door.
ReplyDeleteOur dumb politicos will of course comply because yes, they really are that stupid.
You didn't really think they meant it did you Ken? (That they wanted to roll back the frontiers of the state?) Nanny seems to remain Nanny no matter what party colour/s she's dressed in :-/
ReplyDeleteNo surprise that "Campaigners warn that these proposals do not go far enough"
ReplyDeleteCampaigners are just bossy people who want to force their views and values onto others. I wonder what sort of mentality one needs to want to do such a thing. I have far too much happening in my own life to worry about what others are doing.
ReplyDeleteThis is only the start. It stems from the long term love in between brewers and government. Brewers deliberately hiked the price pleasing the politicos, in exchange opening hours were upped. Then we got the smoking ban which combined with other stupidities caused lots of pubs to close, so now comes the quid pro quo, hike the prices by decree to shut down those nice cheaper supermarkets. Only a non conservative gu'mmint could be si stupid.
ReplyDelete