WE can only hope that commonsense will finally reign over Government plans to introduce minimum alcohol pricing.
There’s speculation that Prime Minister David Cameron will drop plans for a base price of 45p per unit in England and Wales after criticism from senior Tory MPs.
Local health chiefs will be disappointed if the PM doesn’t stick to his guns in this vital issue because they see the effects of cheap booze in our hospitals and health service every day.
They point to evidence elsewhere that a minimum price of 50p a unit would save 3,060 lives , 97,700 alcohol-related hospital admissions and 42,500 crimes a year.
Our local communities would be safer, healthier and with a better future all round. What on earth are we waiting for?