ABSTRACT

The development of alcohol policies in both England and Scotland reflects the complexity of drinking cultures across mainland Britain. Formal licensing legislation in England dates back to 1552, and there have been many periods since in which policy has either sought to reduce consumption or to further liberalize the production and retail of alcohol. Throughout, policy debates have reflected two fundamental tensions. One is between those who see the primary role of the state as being the control of alcohol supply and the reduction of alcohol-related harms, and those who see its role as being to facilitate consumer choice, free markets and business development. A second is between those who see alcohol harms and risks as operating across whole populations and those who view problems as being isolated within specific subgroups. These tensions came to a head with the emergence of the Victorian temperance movement and the arguments worked out in that era left a tangible legacy for alcohol policy in the twentieth century. Many of these problems are now re-emerging as central to contemporary policy debates, albeit framed differently. This chapter provides a broad overview of those developments in the United Kingdom from the formation of licensing until the 1980s.