UK LABOUR BACK MINIMUM PRICING

UK LABOUR BACK MINIMUM PRICING

HUMILIATION FOR GRAY AS BURNHAM OVERRULES LABOUR OPPOSITION

Responding to reports Labour will support minimum pricing in the UK
General Election Manifesto the SNP today challenged Iain Gray to admit
that he has been playing party politics rather than focussing on public
health.

In today's Telegraph Mr Burnham states;

“There is rising public concern and we have never shrunk from taking tough
public health decisions and we are not going to start now,”

he continues

"There is no shortage of research that shows the link with price and
people drinking harmful levels of alcohol – there is no debate about
that.”

In contrast Labour's health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson, who has
previously supported using price to control alcohol consumption stated
less than 48 hours ago on Newsnight Scotland:

"The answer is not minimum pricing, that’s the point"

SNP MSP and Health Committee member Michael Matheson said:

"Andy Burnham's comments are a welcome, sensible contribution to the
debate and a stark contrast to the behaviour of Iain Gray, Richard Simpson
and Jim Murphy.

"Unlike his colleagues in Scotland Mr Burnham seems prepared to focus on
public health not party politics and accept the evidence in front of him
that there is a very real connection between the ridiculously cheap price
of alcohol and excessive consumption.

"It's time for Labour to admit that their opposition to minimum pricing
was nothing more than cheap and irresponsible electoral politics.

"Andy Burnham has humiliated Scottish Labour and exposed their leaders
true colours.

"There are many in Scottish Labour who support minimum pricing and I hope
Iain Gray will now stop listening to supermarkets and alcohol lobbyists
and start listening to them.

"It is utterly ridiculous that we will be going into the Westminster
election with Labour, Lib Dems and Tories all proposing to target the
price of alcohol in England and Wales whilst refusing to vote for the same
measures in Scotland."