Fury at new licensing costs in Scotland

Scottish pub landlords are blazing. No wonder. So what’s happening? In future, instead of the present fixed, limited fee for all pubs and shops, licensed premises will pay a variable rate for obtaining a licence. Smaller premises would pay £800, the big places up to £2,000. In addition, there are annual renewal fees.

Why have the SNP government done this? The nature of the minister’s (Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill) response is interesting. Far from being sympathetic he placed his decision firmly in the context of wider efforts to tackle the negative consequences of alcohol.

He said, bluntly: “Those who profit from the sale of alcohol have a responsibility to help pay for the costs.”

What a cock-eyed, roundabout, avoiding-the-real-issue, misguided way of trying to tackle those 'negative consequences of alcohol'. Surely the supermarkets selling to kids at prices lower than soft drinks would be a better place to start?