This paper focuses on the Alcohol Bill in Scotland, and especially on the proposal of a minimum price per unit of alcohol sold, which is one of the provisions in the Alcohol Bill. This analysis aims to show, how different key actors tried to influence MSPs’ decision in favour of minimum pricing by portraying different strategies which were used in this debate.
On November 25th 2009 the Alcohol (Scotland) Bill, which is defined by Scottish government as a package of measures to reduce misuse of alcohol and the harm caused by it in Scotland, was introduced to the Scottish Parliament by SNP's deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon MSP, who also held the post of Cabinet Secretary of Health and Wellbeing.
First of all it is important to explain why the debate about the provision of minimum pricing is a crucial process within the Alcohol Bill. Despite the logical explanation of the benefits of this provision for social health as well as for Scotland's budget and the strategic usage of evidence, which will be explained in detail later, the provision was surprisingly not implemented due to the rejection of the oppositional parties.
In this context the question arises of how a provision, which had the needed backing from diverse institutions and stakeholders, had to yield to the pressure of the oppositional parties. However, this work will only briefly outline possible processes which might have had an impact on the final decision. The main objective of this work is to describe the methods which were used to ensure the minimum pricing rather than to investigate why the provision was not passed.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Analysis
3. Analysis of the SNP's strategy
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Themes
This case study examines the strategic communication efforts employed by the Scottish National Party (SNP) to advocate for minimum unit pricing of alcohol within the Alcohol (Scotland) Bill. It explores how political actors utilize resources, framing, and legitimacy to influence public and parliamentary opinion, while analyzing the reasons behind the ultimate failure of the provision to pass in its initial form.
- Strategic framing of public policy issues
- Resource dependency and power dynamics in political discourse
- The role of legitimacy and opinion leaders in PR
- Political communication and media strategy
- Analysis of stakeholder influence in legislative debates
Excerpt from the Book
Key actors and their agendas
From the debate over minimum pricing per alcohol unit, a number of key actors can be extracted. The SNP party in the Scottish government is one of them. The party classified the minimum pricing as a necessary measure which has to be undertaken in order to 'reduce alcohol consumption and related harm' and as the 'most effective policy amongst other policy options' (TSG 2011). The issue of alcohol consumption is framed as a national problem and not the problem of individuals, so the benefits of minimum pricing will be felt accordingly by the whole society (TSG 2011). The SNP also relied on further framings of the issue: minimum pricing as a 'life saver', as 'crime prevention' and finally as provider of 'financial savings' (Health and Sport Committee 2010a). The framing was introduced by Nicola Sturgeon, who also introduced the Alcohol Bill. The arguments in favour of minimum pricing, which the SNP includes in its agenda, are: minimum pricing is effective in reducing health, crime and employment harm; heavy drinkers will be affected mostly instead of moderate drinkers and the policy could save a huge amount of money in NHS, crime and employment costs (Alcohol Focus Scotland). The SNP is a dominant group in this debate because of its political status and resources - therefore it is an ‘insider’ (Davis 2003).
Another supportive key actor in the minimum pricing debate is the national charity "Alcohol Focus Scotland", which sets its objective on reducing harm caused by alcohol. AFS follows the evidence which was provided by the government. In the course of the debate it builds a coalition with SHAAP (Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems) and British Medical Association (BMA) in order to support and promote minimum pricing. Because of the importance of the issue to AFS as to the 'communicator' (O'Keefe 2003), it owns media-source affinity; possesses over economic capital provided by the government, but lacks in media capital. Thus the charity can be considered as an ‘outsider’ (Davis 2003).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the Alcohol (Scotland) Bill and outlines the research objective, which focuses on the strategies used by stakeholders to influence the decision regarding minimum pricing.
2. Analysis: This section examines the power dynamics between the Scottish government and opposition parties, identifying the key actors, their respective agendas, and the conceptualization of the debate as a struggle over resources.
3. Analysis of the SNP's strategy: This chapter analyzes how the SNP established its legitimacy through the strategic use of capital, opinion leaders, and media framing to position its policy as the optimal solution.
4. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the outcomes of the debate, noting that despite sophisticated strategic efforts, the lack of tradable political resources led to the provision's rejection.
Keywords
Minimum pricing, Alcohol (Scotland) Bill, Scottish National Party, Strategic framing, Political communication, Public relations, Legitimacy, Resource dependency, Opinion leaders, Alcohol consumption, Policy debate, Stakeholders, Media strategy, Political discourse, Social capital
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this case study?
The study analyzes the communication strategies used by the Scottish National Party (SNP) to advocate for the implementation of a minimum unit price for alcohol within the Alcohol (Scotland) Bill.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The main themes include political framing, the role of legitimacy in policy-making, the utilization of capital (human, social, and economic) in PR, and how political actors compete for influence.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to describe the methods and communication strategies employed by supporters to influence the MSPs' decision in favor of minimum pricing.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The work utilizes political communication theories, including Bourdieu's concept of capital, Entman's strategic media framing, and Wolfsfeld's political contest model, to analyze the debate.
What topics are explored in the main body?
The main body identifies key stakeholders (insiders vs. outsiders), details the framing techniques used to justify the policy, and evaluates the power relations that influenced the final legislative outcome.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include minimum pricing, strategic framing, political communication, legitimacy, and resource dependency.
How does the author define the role of the SNP as an "insider"?
The SNP is defined as an "insider" due to its political status, institutionalized resources, and control over official governmental agendas and policy processes.
Why did the author specifically highlight the "decoding process" by audiences?
The author highlights this to show that for the policy to be successful, the message had to be "encoded" in a way that resonated with public interests and values, allowing for a positive reception.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2012, Political communication in the case of the Alcohol Bill in Scotland. Methods of ensuring the minimum pricing, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/972396
