Retailers and drink producers set to launch campaign against minimum pricing
The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is spearheading a campaign that will see the creation of a new website that will include a public petition against minimum pricing, the Publican's Morning Advertiser sister title The Grocer reports. The WSTA has reportedly secured significant backing for a marketing campaign involving PR and radio.
The magazine says that the website www.whyshouldwepaymore.co.uk is set to go live on Tuesday and feature a calculator showing what impact the pricing measures would have on drinks they buy.
Diageo, SABMiller, Sainsbury’s. Asda and Morrisons are among the firms backing the campaign, which will focus on how the plans are out of touch with the economic situation and will impact the poorest in society hardest.
WSTA chief executive Miles Beale told The Grocer: “It if were not for this issue being something that David Cameron has nailed his colours to the mast on, it could very well have been dropped already, such is the opposition within Parliament.
“We will be targeting MPs but the main aim is to get Joe Public on board and if we do that we feel there is a very strong chance of killing this.”
The Grocer also says Beale also revealed that he had to persuade several major companies of walking away from the Government’s Responsibility Deal due to the current administration’s “schizophrenic” attitude to the industry.
Legal action against Scotland's minimum pricing proposals began this month at the Court of Sessions.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), the European Spirits Organisation and wine association Comite Vins have made the petition to the Scottish Court of Session arguing that minimum pricing could break EU regulations on competition. They said that the Scottish Government has exceeded its powers by pursuing the measure.
Separately, the SWA last year made a formal complaint about the Scottish proposals to the European Commission (EC).
