Labour was accused of being in “a complete mess over alcohol pricing” last night after UK Health Secretary Andy Burnham broke ranks to signal he is in favour of a sharp increase in the prices charged for alcoholic drinks.
The attack from north-east Tory MSP Alex Johnstone followed Mr Burnham’s warning that some drinks are “ludicrously cheap” – an apparent contradiction to UK Government and Scottish Labour opposition to the Scottish Government’s plans to impose higher minimum prices.
His comments contrasted with remarks from Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy, who insisted the UK Cabinet had “no plans” to impose higher pricing.
Mr Johnstone added: “You shouldn’t punish those people who want to have a careful, considered drink because of the unruly behaviour of some yobs and some hooligans who abuse alcohol.”
He admitted there was a problem over cultural attitudes to alcohol in Scotland and parts of England but “punishing the vast majority of people who consume alcohol carefully and responsibly I think is the wrong thing to do”.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said they took advice from medical experts “seriously” but introducing minimum pricing “would not, at this stage, be sensible”.
Mr Johnstone said: “Mr Burnham says he now wants to set a minimum price for alcohol but Gordon Brown and Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray have both ruled it out.
“In comparison to Labour's utter confusion and the SNP’s indiscriminate blanket approach, we have set out a clear strategy for dealing with binge drinking.
“Instead of raising taxes on all drinks, we want targeted minimum pricing.”
Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Murphy’s claim that the UK health secretary was out on his own on minimum pricing “adds to the Labour Party’s enormous confusion on this issue”.
She said: “Our minimum-pricing proposals are focused on tackling irresponsibly priced, high-strength beers and ciders – and our wider Alcohol Bill represents a once-in-a-generation chance to turn around Scotland’s drink problems.”
Aberdeen South Labour MP Anne Begg accused opponents “of mischief-making because there is an election in the offing”.
She said the problem was that alcohol, like tobacco, was not price-sensitive and she doubted if minimum prices were legal anyway.
Ms Begg said: “The position of the Labour Party in the UK and in Scotland is not to support minimum pricing and I agree with that.”
Mr Burnham’s remarks followed a report from the Commons health committee in favour of a higher minimum price per unit of alcohol.
He is reported to have said: “We need to balance the rights of people who drink responsibly with those who buy ludicrously cheap booze and go out and harm themselves and others.”