Going... going... gone?

The "Say No To Minimum Pricing" button may well disappear from this blog next week if reports in today's press are accurate, according to the Telegraph, Theresa May, the Home Secretary, is expected to tell MPs that the Prime Minister’s personal pledges to restrict access to cheap alcohol will not be implemented.

 Instead, ministers will seek to enforce a much more modest change, banning retailers from selling alcohol at very cheap prices in “loss-leader” deals. It said that the ban on selling alcohol below cost price will be presented as a way to tackle problem drinking.Sources said that May will also announce that the ban on “multi-buy” discounts, for example deals where two bottles of wine that would cost £6 separately can be bought together for £10, will not be implemented.

Now if local licensing authorities will be just as draconian in their approach to the off-trade as they are to the on-trade by reviewing the licenses of the big supermarkets and off-licences who continue to flout the guidance on "responsible retailing" we might just see an acceleration in the decline of problem drinking the health lobby are so keen to promote, but so reluctant to mention when they get on their soap boxes.

That's two down and three to go then, from my five point plan for the pub trade:

1) Drop VAT to 5% for the hospitality industry

2) Scrap the Beer Duty Escalator

3) Forget Minimum Pricing

4) Regulate the Pubcos

5) Equalise Business Rates for pubs in line with other businesses