No more cheap booze in Britain

See what happens when you elect a Conservative-LibDem alliance?

BARGAIN supermarket booze deals will be outlawed by ministers today.

Shops will be banned from selling wine, beer or spirits for less than the cost of duty and VAT.

Ministers believe the move will stop the worst examples of alcohol being sold at a big loss to lure customers.

Cops fear the bargain booze glut has fuelled UK binge-drinking. But Home Office minister James Brokenshire is expected to stress today’s plans are just the first step in tackling the problem.

An average 70cl bottle of spirits currently costs £10.89.

But three-quarters of this price – £8.07 – goes to the Treasury in duty and VAT. Under today’s plans, shops would be prevented from selling the bottle for less than £8.07. The same rules will apply to beer, wine and cider.

Shoppers would not be able to buy a 440ml can of average-strength lager for less than 38p – ending deals which saw four-packs sold for 94p.

A litre of cider, which has lower level of duty, will have to be sold for 40p or more. Plans to slap a minimum price on booze have been delayed as ministers feared they would fall foul of European law.

FORTY PENCE FOR A LITRE CIDER? WHAT A RIP.

Twenty seconds of research has not led me to a definitive answer as to whether Four Loko is legal in Britain. Therefore, I cannot ascertain which country has fallen further into totalitarianism.

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