I don't get the tax on alcohol.

[Youcannotbeserious]

OK, I am obviously missing something....

I do appreciate that the UK seems to have a binge drinking culture and I appreciate that we do need to do something about it..

BUT, is it really the cost of alcohol? Is alcohol really cheaper in the UK than abroad? Is that why people here get tanked?

If so, then why do some many people nip over to France for the cheap booze??????

I do appreciate that we need to change the way we drink (or at least some people do!) but I don't really see how this small increase is going to really make a difference..........

Anyone? am I missing some vital point that makes it all make sense?

it's crazy, lets tax alchol more but i'm assuming the 24 hour drinking culture is more to blame than cheap booze.

It isn't to stop binge drinking, it's to raise revenue.

how much is it going up by?

"Alcohol duty rises by six per cent above inflation, with a pint of beer going up by 4p, the average bottle of wine by 14p and spirits, frozen for a decade, by 55p." According to the Telegraph.

4p to the manufacturer which will translate to c. 12-15 p on a pint in the pub, according to disgruntled brewer on R4.

If it was about tackling binge drinking alcopops would be taxed out of existence.

blimey, that's quite alot

Interesting thing is that they are reducing income tax by 2%..so I guess that has to be paid for by something else.

Excellent news for those non-drinking, non-smokers..at least its a tax you CAN avoid, unlike income tax ..(well unless you're a non-dom of course!)

Agree with Callisto.

the tax isnt about being a nanny state. its about increasing revenue

Well at least they've increased spirits it pissed me off when they never went up year after year because that's what they all drank in the Houses of P no doubt.

its a luxury , like cigarettes and tobacco, and in excess leads to ill health costing the NHS a small fortune.

They're not really reducing tax by 2p are they? I thought that they were cutting the out the 10% band, so you end up paying 20% on a higher number. The tax bill for people on low income will go up.

im getting really pisssed off with this govenment instead of dealing with the problems directly such as speeding, binge drinking, smoking they just use it as a opportunity to raise tax and tell us they are doing it for our own good.

No, it's the Treasury that gets the tax, silly

if they were doing it for our own good they would ban smoking/drinking or raise taxes so much that people really would not be able to aford it. its just a way of increasing revenue.

it's very simple: some people binge drink and break the law because they know they will not really get into trouble for it.

so the rest of us have to pay more for drink.

TBH if you're not a raging alcoholic the tax isn't really going to affect you. So it's an extra few pennies on a bottle of wine. Unless you're drinking 2 a day, are you really going to notice?

The thing that's to blame for excessive alcohol consumption is the licensing of supermarkets

Stop them selling the stuff, and have it like they used toi (off licences or pubs only)##IMHO

My tax bill has gone up, and DP's had gone down, despite him earning 3 times what I do. That's really helping thoise on low incoimes isn;t it?>

Cunts

I hate this government.

the point is, that it's a few pence of my money as a responsible drinker, Bella, for no damn good reason.

And I and many others are getting sick to teh back teeth of this government doing that to us, in almost every aspect of life.

Yes, Shiek, and what about the 10% tax band which will come in in April that was mentioned in GB's budget last year?

He's been a real help to low-income people and families.

NOT.

the thing that's also to blame is that the law is COMPLETELY ineffective in dealing with people who abuse alcohol and then break the law.

expat, drink always goes up, i really dont think its got anything to do with binge drinkers. because we dont HAVE to drink its an easy thing to increase tax on.

FWIW, nancy, I don't drink just now as am pregnant.