What is the problem?: Evidence, politics and alcohol policy in England and Wales, 2010–2014

Abstract

This article considers alcohol policy development in England and Wales under the coalition government after 2010. With a particular focus on minimum unit pricing, it examines why policy departures based on supply-side controls drawn from public health models were abandoned in favour of a restoration of policy equilibrium. This article adopts a historically informed political science perspective, drawing upon insights from John Kingdon’s policy streams approach, with a focus on how the “alcohol problem” is defined and framed by policy actors. It argues that while the restoration of policy equilibrium was significantly attributable to industry lobbying, also important were the inconsistent framing of policy proposals, lack of departmental synergy, ideological tensions and a lack of coherence in the communication of evidence.

• Alcohol
• evidence base
• policy

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr John Holmes for his helpful comments on a draft of this paper.

Declaration of interest

James Nicholls would like to acknowledge the support of a British Academy Mid-Career Research Fellowship (2011–2012).