Reader panel: Budget verdict
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We asked some Orange users for their thoughts on the Budget. See if you share their views.
1. The Chancellor has raised duty on spirits, wine and beer – by as much as 55p for a bottle of spirits. Do you believe this is enough to tame the UK’s binge-drinking culture? Can increasing taxes like this really change heavy drinkers' behaviour?
Robert Leach (pictured): No, I think drink will still be too cheap for those who like getting drunk.
Victoria McAllister: This is a token gesture and quite ridiculous. Wetherspoons pubs will still do 99p spirit and mixer offers, supermarkets and shops will still do 3 for 2s – there will always be cheap booze. We need to deal with the cultural aspects of binge drinking and look at proper initiatives such as imposing stiffer penalties on people selling alcohol to teenagers.
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Matthew Redgrave: I think we have to see this for what it is – a revenue-raising “sin tax”. I don't think 50p is going to prevent binge drinkers doing what they will. If they are worried about young people and drinking, they need to look at alcopops and the marketing of them, as well as happy hours.
Leal Shorney: I don’t believe that increasing taxes is an effective way to tame the binge-drinking culture. Queensland, Australia implemented these policies approximately 10 years ago and it has done little to solve the problem. I would be concerned that the increased cost of alcohol may just lead heavy drinkers with lower incomes to forego other essential items in order to fund their drinking. This could have adverse effects on families of heavy drinkers.
