limits

Four out of five teetotallers in Scotland support a reduction of the drink-drive limit according to a poll conducted by the Scottish government. The pollsters managed to track down all 1008 non-drinking Scots and ask them "Should we criminalise more drinkers for no reason?" and 79% of them said yes.

The SNP have leapt on the figures. They believe it supports their twin aims of further demonising alcohol and also trying to grab as much power for themselves as possible.

The number of people caught drink-driving at Christmas has fallen by around 25% for the last two years, from 839 arrests in 2007, to 654 in 2008 to 490 in 2009, and the SNP are concerned that this reduction of revenue may seriously impact on their ability to frivolously spend cash on their pet projects. By reducing the maximum permitted amount of blood alcohol it is hoped that more motorists can be penalised and the revenue stream unblocked.

"It's all very well people complying with the law" said a senior SNP accountant this morning "but it totally buggers up our spending plans. Without this festive tax revenue boost we will be bankrupt before the end of January. Lowering the cut-off point will criminalise a whole new section of the population and realise a taxation potential previously untapped."