Dear Colleagues,
Today we will be voting on my report on excise duty on alcohol and alcoholic beverages and I want you to reject the report. During the negociations leading up to the second vote in Econ on the 27th of June, I have made a compromise proposal to maintain the status quo in order to wait for the results of a Commission review on excise duties, to be published by the end of the year. Unfortunately, that proposal was defeated by a very narrow majority during the Econ vote and the Committe voted for a 4,5% increase of minimum rates. As I am against any increase, no matter how small, and as this strange procedure does not allow me to table amendments for the vote in plenary, may I ask you to reject my report. As I know that most of you followed my line on trying to abolish minimum rates, I would be grateful if you could help me fight against any increase in minimum rates, as unfortunately this is the best we can achieve under these circumstances.
Kindest Regards,
Astrid Lulling
Of course the report should be rejected as it stands. Though I wonder how the Tories feel about it, after all they are talking about tax increases on booze, maybe they will support the report as it now is against the wishes of its author.
4 comments:
Now, now. You know as well as I do that raising tax on alcohol is not Conservative policy and is unlikely to be adopted as policy
http://povertydebate.typepad.com/home/files/addictions.pdf
"Our recommendation in the light of these three factors is that an incoming Conservative Government seriously considers how to affect the price of alcohol including the possibility of a treatment tax.
http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=126778
"The aim of each group - the others include national and international security, quality of life, reform of public services, and economic competitiveness - will be to engage expertise from outside politics, and over the next 18 months carry out detailed work to identify all of the issues and relevant facts surrounding each challenge and to look at creative ideas. They will not set party policy. But once that process is complete, the information they have gathered will be used to help inform a policy development process."
They feed into the policy making process but do not set policy. I presume that UKIP have simialar groups with outside experts that come up with ideas for policy. Like with a thinktank, some of the ideas will be bonkers and some of them will be senisble proposals.
Oh I am sure that certain ideas will be dropped, this one more likely than most due to the storm it has created. Transferrable marrioage allowance, well that is already UKIP policy so of course I agree with it.
Can't say I have read the entire report yet, but most of it looks pretty good.
That being said, if the Tory party floats boats like this then they must expect a broadside or two until they have removed the ofending article.
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