Tory Slams The Government's Alcohol Strategy

Wise words, indeed.

Suggestions so far in the consultation process call for more plain packaging, marketing bans and the raising of the legal drinking age.

A Conservative MP said today. "Can you imagine what the inside of a pub would look like if these plans ever saw the light of day? How could small breweries compete if they cannot advertise?"

"Anybody who cares about our local pubs and our freedoms should become involved and add their voice to the consultation."

"The government and parts of the media seem to be in a panic about the rate of drinking in the UK. But making policy in the midst of a panic is always bad news. Of course we need to tackle problem or binge drinking" he said.

"Many of our town and city centres have become no-go areas for many after dark. But we already have laws to tackle these problems and we should be using these laws instead of come up with another layer of laws which could hammer small independent breweries and pubs rather than tackle the main problem."

Yeah, you can stop laughing now, I realise it's a crap April Fool.

Tories who could convey such proper thinking openly, like those who carried the blue flag in decades past, are pretty thin on the ground these days.

This particular gem of old-style Conservative common sense came, instead, from a UKIP MEP.