Scottish leaders clash over minimum pricing — again

Scotland's party leaders clashed in a debate about the minimum pricing of alcohol on BBC Scotland's Politics Show leader's debate.

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray, Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie, SNP leader Alex Salmond, and Scottish Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott all appeared on the programme.

According to a report in The Journal opinions were divided over the issue. The SNP is supporting a proposal for the introduction of minimum pricing. However, Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats have already rejected the proposal in the last parliament.

Goldie said: "The proposal has to target the problem drinks and the problem drinkers, not penalise people."

While Scott claimed that existing regulation to tackle the problem of alcohol was not used to its full potential and that there had not yet been enough prosecutions under the licensing law.

Salmond said: "We'll be introducing minimum pricing for alcohol and I do hope we can get the support that the doctors and police and society in Scotland demand from their politicians."