3. David Cameron, Prime Minister and George Osborne, Chancellor
David Cameron, Prime Minister (new entry)
George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer (new entry)
Why they are on the list: They were always the bookies' tip to occupy two of the great offices of state after the election. But the bookies would have given very long odds on them joining forces with the Liberal Democrats.
What the past year has held:
Both had been preparing themselves for 6 May, but few were ready for the prospect of Nick Clegg and Vince Cable sat around the cabinet table. Higher taxes are obviously a certainty, but any rise in VAT would be another bitter blow for pubs and drinkers. Conservative Jeremy Hunt has been appointed culture secretary, with John Penrose nominally given the licensing brief, although the Home Office under Home Secretary Theresa May is likely to take the lead on many of the alcohol and disorder policies affecting pubs.
Challenges ahead: The coalition has agreed on various plans, including a ban on below-cost alcohol sales; powers for councils and police to permanently shut shops or bars caught persistently selling alcohol to children; a review of alcohol tax and pricing to tackle bingeing without penalising responsible drinkers and pubs; doubling top fines for underage alcohol sales to £20,000; allowing councils to charge more for late-night licences; an overhaul of the Licensing Act to give councils and police greater powers to remove licences; giving communities the right to buy the last pub in a village. There were no commitments on the tie, however.
