There we are in the checkout queue at Morrisons. Ahead of us is an elderly gentleman with a small basket of goods – a pack of bacon, a couple of small tins, some apples and a couple of cans of beer. All this grocery was taken from the shelf filled with goods being cleared out and hugely discounted.
The beer? That was at 45p a can – well under the proposed minimum price. Somehow, I don’t think this elderly man was going to “pre-load” himself before heading out on the town to create mayhem and disorder! He’s much more likely to be a poor pensioner who, once a week, buys a couple of cans to drink while watching racing on the telly.
Yet, minimum pricing will target him – he will pay extra. Or more likely, buy just the one can. How exactly does making this man pay more help anyone, save any life or reduce any crime? What benefit does society get from making this man’s life just a little more expensive, just a little less pleasant? I can see none but with minimum prices that is what we get.
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2 comments:
The aristocratic class of experts and false-prophets pushing for bans, prohibitions, price fixing and elimination of property rights, rights to socially assemble, rights to freely market and advertise - they are all morally bankrupt and thus no pleading to sense of morality or ultimate harm done to a fellow human being because of liberties stolen will have any effect on such souless, gutless, life sucking vampires in charge of government and the bureaucracy that rules over us with an iron fisted glove. You make a valid point. But the morally bankrupted and politically corrupted elites in charge have no way in which to discern the difference between evil and good, so there is no way the message can get through to them. They are lost beyond all hope of redemption.
Minimum pricing means that out of date, or damaged, beer is no longer allowed to be put in the bargain bin. Yet another restraint of trade from the coalition.
UKIP phones are apparently ringing off the hook this week. ;)
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