Alcohol Tax in Context

Following the Scottish governments plans for a minimum price for alcohol it seems that for all their bleating about the increasing abuse of the demon drink we are drinking less of it.

Al Jahom has put it succinctly enough in the blogosphere, however, it is worth relaying the words of Sian, our local off-licence shopkeeper.

He pointed out that during Brown's period as Pillock in Chief and Chancellor there were no increases in the duty costs of Whiskey; incidentally duty on cider was more or less half of what it is for wine and beer.

So we have a situation where Brown, a serial tax riser who would rip off his own granny for her pension to pay for another vote to keep him in power, avoiding an obvious port of call for a grab, on a product synonymous with Scottish industry and exports.

Incidentally when Brown tried to raise the duty on cider it was later dropped by Cameron, a man who owes what pitiful support he got at the last election to a few core southern constituencies in farm areas, run by red nosed farmers producing large volumes of scrumpy.

Not questioning the underlying wrongness of them taxing the crap out of us for shits and giggles isn't it wrong that this is a turf war between the Jock-mafia and the Turnip Taliban?