SNP consider ban on online alcohol sales

The Scottish National Party is said to be considering a ban on online alcohol sales as part of its drive to cut down on anti-social drinking.

If the proposal, currently under consideration, is given the go ahead, then Scots customers would be prevented from taking advantage of multi-buy offers being sold online in England.

Trade bodies in Scotland were quick to criticise the suggestion saying, as with minimum pricing, that it was possibly illegal under EU law.

A spokeswoman for the Wine and Spirit Trade Association Scotland said: “This consultation is littered with ill-thought-through proposals, many of which will be unworkable and unenforceable.”

Even the Scottish Retail Consortium was quick to damn the proposal, saying: “Whether such a move is legal under EU law is doubtful.

“At present, people are free to buy products and services from any member state. Restricting certain goods from being sold to Scottish customers from south of the border would likely breach these rules.

“We have urged the EU to create a truly free market for a long time and politicians should not interfere with that.”

However, the proposal is unlikely to come to fruition with the UK government having already proposed a ban on multi-buys in English supermarkets.