HOW HIGH CAN PRICE RISE?

EXCLUSIVE SCOTS FAVOURITE BOOZE BRANDS COULD BE BATTERED...  | IF MINIMUM PRICE RISES TO 80P A UNIT | Shock at government proposal to hike minimum price of alcohol to 80p a unit .. meaning six-pack of Tennent’s would cost nearly £10

- PAUL HUTCHEON

SCOTLAND’S favourite booze brands could soar in price under plans to hike the minimum unit price of alcohol to 80p. 

Drinks industry bosses hit out last night after a proposal to raise the minimum price from the current 50p-per-unit to 80p was included in a Scottish Government consultation document.

Under the plan, a bottle of Scotch whisky could rise by more than £8 and a six-pack of Tennents 500ml lager could go up to almost a tenner.

Health campaigners last night claimed the move would help tackle Scotland’s continuing alcohol health problems.

But drinks manufacturers and retailers said the 60 per cent rise to 80p would be too steep during a cost-of-living crisis.

Hussan Lal, President of the Federation of Independent Retailers, said: “This could price out those who look forward to a beer or a glass of wine.

“It would be particularly hard when family budgets are already badly squeezed by the cost-of-living crisis.”

Lal added: “We can see the argument for increasing the price which has been in place for five years, a time of inflation. However, over 80p is over the top.”

A minimum unit price of 50p was introduced in 2018 following legislation backed by Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP Government.

A study found MUP was linked to a 13 per cent drop in the number of deaths from alcohol consumption.

The current mininum-unit price will expire next year and a review is taking place on its continuation.

A Scottish Government consultation on the new limit was sent out to industry groups and set out a range of options.