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Gordon Brown’s refusal to ban cheap booze is biggest health failing, claims chief doctor

Gordon Brown’s refusal to clamp down on cheap alcohol is the biggest public health failing of the last decade, England’s chief medical officer has said.

By Laura Donnelly, Health Correspondent

Sir Liam Donaldson, who is about to retire as Whitehall’s most senior doctor, said the Government’s rejection last year of his proposal for minimum prices constituted his biggest disappointment in the role.

He spoke out in an interview ahead of his final annual report, to be published on Mar 15, in which he will say that grandparents are often the best people to instill healthy habits into a younger generation, giving advice to their grandchildren on diet, exercise and the dangers of smoking and drugs.

Last year Sir Liam, 60, said that supermarkets and shops should not be allowed to sell alcohol for less than 50 pence per unit. His recommendation would have doubled the price of many beers and placed a minimum price of £4.50 on a bottle of wine.

Gordon Brown rejected the proposal instantly, saying the “sensible majority” of moderate drinkers should not be punished for the excesses of binge drinkers. The Conservatives also ruled out the idea.

Sir Liam’s proposal had the backing of many senior doctors, including the British Medical Association.

In January the Commons health select committee criticised Mr Brown’s decision, saying: “It is time the Government listened more to the Chief Medical Officer and the President of the Royal College of Physicians and less to the drinks and retail industry.”

The medical adviser said the rejection of his proposal had been his greatest disappointment during his 12 years in post, all with Labour in power.

The majority of his most significant recommendations – including a ban on smoking in workplaces, allowing embryonic stem cell research, and changes to the way doctors are regulated – have been introduced, though some involved major battles.

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