Can the Scots put a price on it?

Will minimum pricing in Scotland become a reality? Or will it get thrown out by opposition parties? MSPs on both sides of the argument certainly show no sign of letting up in fighting their corner on the issue.

After a debate and vote last week, it is clear the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) is going to have one hell of a fight on its hands to get its plans for a minimum price per unit of alcohol through.

In the debate at Holyrood MSPs voted 58 to 45 against a government amendment seeking support for minimum pricing. However, a Tory motion against minimum pricing was also defeated.

The Tories and Lib Dems have come out against the measure. So it could all come down to where Scottish Labour stands on the issue. But so far the party has been split, while the Alcohol Bill, of which minimum pricing is a part, is on the horizon.

With Labour easily the second-largest party in the Scottish Parliament, with just one seat fewer than the ruling SNP, it could all come down to what Labour's position is on minimum pricing. But if a vote is close the minority parties could also have a decisive influence.

Deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon said for minimum pricing to be legal it needs to be "proportionate, non-discriminatory and to achieve a clear health benefit".

"I hope that we can keep party politics out of it, because the health of our country is too important for us to allow the debate to become party political," she told the Scottish Parliament.

Here we look at the views of members of each of the three opposition parties …

Labour: 'Where is the legal advice on minimum pricing?'

A number of Scottish Labour members are concerned over the legal arguments of minimum pricing and whether it will fall foul of European law.

During the November 5 debate, Labour's shadow health secretary Jackie Baillie called on the government to "share the substance of all of the legal advice obtained" and bemoaned the fact the debate on minimum pricing had become "polarised".

"Let us be clear that minimum pricing is no silver bullet," she said. "Scotland's relationship with alcohol is complex and deep-seated… no single action will provide the solution."

Echoing his colleague's concerns, Labour's James Kelly said he remained "genuinely confused" about the legality of the policy. "We need a better understanding of the legal opinion that the Scottish government has," he said.

However, Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, said she was unconvinced about minimum pricing and regarded it as a "blunt instrument".

"It would punish the whole community for the excesses of the minority, which will remain unaffected," she said.

MSP Hugh Henry said: "As we know, the road to hell is often paved with good intentions…I am here to be persuaded that minimum pricing would have a positive effect and achieve the desired result, but so far I have heard nothing to persuade me."

Liberal Democrats: 'Getting drunk is approved of'

The Lib Dems are against minimum pricing, instead wanting to bring about a change in the culture around drinking. Justice spokesman Robert Brown told MSPs: "Unlike in many other countries and cultures, getting drunk, staggering about out of one's mind and binge-drinking are not just tolerated and accepted in Scotland but to some extent approved of.

"That is really not an acceptable position in modern, 21st-century Scotland."

He argued that minimum pricing had been "overhyped" by the government and that the issue diverted attention away from how the culture is changed.

The Lib Dems also argue that minimum pricing is probably illegal and will only be marginally effective, while increasing the profits of the drinks industry.

The party also criticised the recent debate for being too short and called a full day to be set aside to talk about the problem of alcohol.

Brown said: "I have serious concerns that the SNP is obsessed with finding an equivalent totemic public health policy to the previous executive's smoking ban and that is the real reason behind its campaign for minimum pricing.

"We cannot allow this to distract attention away from tackling the real issues that drive people to drink themselves stupid in the first place.

"This issue warrants a full day of Parliamentary debate. After that, perhaps even the Labour Party will be able to make up their minds what to do."

Scottish Conservatives: 'It may well be illegal'

Tory deputy leader Murdo Fraser attacked minimum pricing as "wrong" saying it would "penalise responsible drinkers, may well be illegal under European Union rules and will cost jobs in our vital spirits industry".

He added: "It is also wrong because, by focusing on that single measure, the Scottish National Party government loses the opportunity to build a true cross-party consensus on measures that we need to take to tackle the scourge of alcohol in Scottish society."

The Tories want better enforcement of the current laws, better education on the health effects of alcohol, a ban on below-cost selling of alcohol and tax hikes on alcopops and super-strength beers and ciders.

On minimum pricing's effect on responsible drinkers, Fraser said: "Based on a minimum price of 50p per unit, the policy would lead to an increase in the price of Stowells of Chelsea wine, while the price of Buckfast would not go up by a penny.

"I do not know which of the two is the weekend drink of choice for the 'neds' in constituencies like that of the cabinet secretary for health and wellbeing (Nicola Sturgeon), but I wager that they do not neck down a nice Stowells of Chelsea merlot at the start of a night out."