![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dailybusinessgroup.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Michael-Marra-for-website.png\")
Scottish Labour leadership candidate Michael Marra has proposed a \u00a3250 million levy on large alcohol retailers to help tackle drug and alcohol deaths.<\/p>\n
He said the money, raised over five years, would be directed into frontline treatment, rehabilitation and recovery services, alongside a commitment to maintain national funding and give providers greater long-term certainty.<\/p>\n
The levy would claw back income he claims retailers have gained from the minimum unit pricing policy (MUP).<\/p>\n
A retailers\u2019 leader reacted with dismay to the proposal, describing it as \u201chalf-baked nonsense\u201d and dismissing as \u201cbaseless\u201d the accusation that retailers have benefited from MUP.<\/p>\n
Mr Marra, who is the party\u2019s finance spokesman, insisted his plan would help save lives. \u201cEight years ago, Minimum Unit Pricing came into effect in Scotland. My party voted against it, but it is now the law of the land.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe policy has meant a windfall of tens of millions of pounds in extra revenue a year for supermarkets in Scotland. I\u2019m proposing we claw some of that money back and spend it on alcohol and treatment services.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven a conservative estimate suggests we could raise an additional \u00a350m per year. Almost a quarter a billion of pounds of additional investment intro drugs and alcohol services funded by big business over the course of this parliament.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, responded angrily, saying the proposed surtax on grocery retailers \u201cis ill-conceived and deeply alarming\u201d.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n He added: \u201cIt is profoundly concerning that new taxes on business are being countenanced in such an arbitrary way and with little regard to trading conditions.\u00a0This was a bad idea when it was suggested in Scottish Labour\u2019s election manifesto and it\u2019s a bad idea now.\u201d<\/p>\n He said \u201can arbitrary Scotland-only surtax risks pushing up prices for customers and comes as retailers are being clobbered by the UK Government\u2019s colossal increases in employers\u2019 national insurance contributions, packaging levies, and extra regulatory burdens.\u201d<\/p>\n On the MUP allegation, a claim regularly aimed at retailers, he said: \u201cThe assertion that grocers have\u00a0benefited tremendously from the minimum unit price of alcohol is baseless.<\/p>\n \u201cRetailers have responsibly delivered minimum unit pricing, and Public Health Scotland\u2019s own report noted there was no evidence MUP had significantly improved profits. <\/p>\n \u201cThe assertion\u00a0conveniently forgets the government\u2019s regulatory impact assessment which said customer habits would change, which is the whole point of MUP, and that any extra revenues would be marginal and apply to manufacturers as well.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Mr Marra is serious about restoring his party\u2019s fortunes he ought to focus on proportionate evidence-based policies, not half-baked nonsense. <\/p>\n \u201cPoliticians should focus on growing Scotland\u2019s economy and improving competitiveness, not shackling businesses with arbitrary cash grabs which would have real world implications for retailers, customers, and suppliers, let alone Scotland\u2019s reputation as a place to invest.\u201d<\/p>\n Daily Business Bulletin<\/strong>:\u00a0Subscribe here for our free morning bulletin of breaking news<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \t <\/div>\n