Rising numbers of Scots are going on festive “booze cruises” to England to buy cheaper whisky after the SNP increased the alcohol minimum price, a drinks retailer has said.
The House of Malt in Carlisle, Cumbria, has experienced a marked increase in customers from Scotland since the minimum unit price north of the border rose from 50p to 65p at the end of September.
Piers Foster, the company’s operations manager, said the number had risen again in the weeks running up to Christmas as households stocked up on drink ahead of the festive season.
Ironically, he said many of his Scottish customers had bought Scotch whisky as it was cheaper in England than in their homeland.
Nicola Sturgeon’s government introduced minimum pricing in 2018 in an attempt to tackle Scotland’s binge drinking epidemic by drastically increasing the cost of cheap cider, lager and spirits.
However, official figures in September showed that alcohol deaths in Scotland had surged to their highest level in 15 years, despite the policy’s introduction.
The price was increased for the first time at the end of that month, to 65p, to counter the effect of inflation.
This means a bottle of wine with 12.5 per cent alcohol content cannot be sold in Scotland for less than £6.09, a four-pack of beer in 440ml cans costs at least £5.72 and a 700ml bottle of Scotch whisky costs a minimum of £18.20.
Mr Foster told The Telegraph that “Yes, absolutely” since then there had been an increase in Scottish custom at the House of Malt, about 10 miles from the border.
Asked whether this was because of the price rise, he said: “They keep bringing it up. It does seem to be an issue. We always have a bit of a laugh and a joke about it when they come in.”
He said Scotch whisky was particularly popular.
Although they do not buy in bulk, Mr Foster said they tend to buy a few bottles at a time. The shop’s website lists two blended whiskies that are below the minimum price in Scotland.
Oliver Mundell, the Tory MSP for Dumfriesshire, said: “Bars and shops just over the border will be toasting the SNP for still being so wedded to their failed minimum unit pricing policy.
“It means many people, including my constituents, are jumping down to England in a bid to save money this Christmas.
“Not only has this flagship SNP scheme failed to stop alcohol deaths soaring, it is also now meaning tills in England are benefiting instead of ones up here.”
Official research published in 2019 found that English supermarkets near the border had experienced huge increases in alcohol sales after the introduction of minimum pricing.
An initial assessment, commissioned by NHS Scotland, examined sales between May and July the previous year at two large retailers near the border.
One reported alcohol sales increased by 40 per cent compared with the previous year, while the second showed there had been a 25 per cent rise.
Although “unseasonably” warm weather and the football World Cup that year could have pushed sales up, the report said sales remained “well above normal” throughout the year.
However, the study concluded that a relatively small number of people were going on booze cruises to England to stock up on cheap drink.
It found no evidence of “white vans runs” or an increase in bulk purchasing, which would signify people trying to sell on the cheap drink in Scotland.
According to Scottish Government calculations conducted when the price was 50p, booze cruisers from Glasgow to Carlisle would have to buy 17 bottles of vodka to break even when travel costs are taken into account. This reduced to 11 bottles for those travelling from Edinburgh to Berwick.
A Public Health Scotland (PHS) assessment of the policy last year cited an academic survey that found 18 per cent of respondents said they had bought alcohol in England and brought it into Scotland.
Five per cent said they had travelled to England solely for the purpose of buying alcohol, but “cross-border purchasing” was more common among those that reported living within an hour’s drive from the border.
The PHS study also concluded there had been 13.4 per cent fewer deaths related to alcohol than would have happened without the policy, as well as 4.1 per cent fewer hospital admissions.
However, 39 other academic studies examining the impact of the policy reached negative or inconclusive verdicts, or did not cite the health outcomes at all.
Neil Gray, the SNP Health Secretary, said: “Research commended by internationally-renowned public health experts estimated that our world-leading policy has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and contributed to tackling health inequalities.
“The PHS evaluation found some evidence of cross-border purchasing, but its extent was observed to be minimal. We don’t anticipate significant changes to cross-border sales following the increase of the minimum unit price but will keep this under review.”