The SNP today welcomed David Cameron's support for a minimum alcohol pricing scheme in England and called on him to tell Scotland's Tories to back SNP plans for minimum pricing in Scotland.

The call comes after the Prime Minister gave support to a proposal for
Manchester to introduce minimum pricing in order to tackle deep
discounting and low cost alcohol.

David Cameron said he was “very supportive” of plans to introduce a
minimum price for alcohol and would look on it "sympathetically".

Pointing out the contradiction between David Cameron’s support for the Manchester proposal and the Tories refusal to endorse minimum pricing in Scotland the SNP has written to David Cameron urging him to change the position of the Tories in Scotland, allowing minimum pricing to be introduced in Scotland.

SNP MSP Stewart Maxwell a member of the Parliament’s Justice Committee today wrote to David Cameron urging him to call on the Scottish Tories to back minimum pricing;

Commenting on David Cameron's interview Mr Maxwell said:

“David Cameron’s support for the Manchester scheme pulls the rug from the Scottish Tories opposition to minimum pricing in Scotland.

“His comments leave Murdo Fraser and Annabel Goldie without a leg to stand on.

“Scotland’s Tories have opposed the SNP’s plans and said we should let London take care of our problems with alcohol. Now that the Tories in London are quite happy for different areas to adopt their own approach there is no excuse left for Scotland’s Tories not to back the SNP’s minimum pricing proposals.

“The Tories admit that price is a key problem, but have stubbornly refused to see that minimum pricing is the only effective way to end the problem of low cost alcohol fuelling health and crime problems in our communities.

Their calls to use duty plus vat would see some cheap alcohol get
cheaper.

“The opposition arguments have been unsustainable from day one – and have
become even more so with the offer to introduce a sunset clause, reviewing
the impact of price changes after a set time.

“It is not acceptable to play political games while neglecting key health
issues.  David Cameron should now tell Scotland’s Tories to end their
opposition, to act in Scotland’s best interests and to back minimum
pricing for alcohol.”