The Government is guilty of a staggering level of incompetence and arrogance. First they told us they would introduce a minimum price for Alcohol, as outlined in an article in the Daily Telegraph in December 2011. It was reported that setting a minimum price of 30p per unit would prevent 300 deaths a year, 40p about 1,000 deaths, and 50p more than 2,000 premature deaths. Another article in the same paper in September 2012 suggested that a 50p minimum price could prevent 50,000 Pensioners from dying early from Alcohol  related illness. At the end of 2012 and through January and early February 2013 residents were encouraged to participate in a national consultation on this subject. This consultation and the research that lies behind it has cost us all a great deal of money. I was one of those that did and I expressed my support for a 50p minimum price (10p above the level set as the suggested figure). My own research took me to this website.

The first sign that things were not going according to plan was when the Queens Speech made no reference to this promised legislation. Then yesterday the unofficial announcement was made that the Government had bottled (pun intended) out of their plans to improve the health of the nation. I am furious, and I am not alone. Conservative MP, Sarah Wollaston tweeted @drwollastonmp

R.I.P. public health. A day of shame for this government; the only winners big tobacco, big alcohol and big undertakers

Unlike Dr Wollaston, I am no fan of this Government so this feels like yet another day of shame for them rather than one that is distinctively shameful but nevertheless she and I are equally angry, and many others should also feel angry. They should include:

The People who like me work on the Streets of many Towns and Cities on Friday nights, supporting those who do take advantage of the cheap alcohol from Supermarkets and Off Licenses (in my case I work as a Street Pastor). These consumers arrive on the Streets having pre-loaded with cheap alcohol and in some cases are so drunk that they cannot gain admittance to the pubs and clubs they had intended to visit when they planned the night ahead. If the Alcohol was not cheaply available from retail outlets, these people would instead purchase more of their drinks in licensed premises where the staff would be able to monitor their level of intoxication and stop serving these drinkers before they had become completely legless.

Others whose social or working lives involves contact with our nightime economies in some way. This may be no more than travelling home on public transport or on foot when others are arriving out for the night.

The people who work in Off Licenses and Supermarkets along with their customers who become targets for small numbers of disruptive shoppers whose alcoholism leads them to try to purchase their chosen drug wherever it is cheapest. Whilst there is no suggestion that an Alcholic will give up drinking just because minimum pricing is introduced, some of them are included in the 2,000 or more lives that would be saved if Alcohol was not sold at such low prices.

Those who work in out pubs and clubs who are losing their jobs because so many of us choose to drink at home, simply because it is cheaper than going out.

The people whose work is health related who have more patients to deal with, whether in A&E or at GP surgeries simply because of cheap booze.

Next time Cameron and his motely crew pontificate about political funding as they have this week I hope we will all remember that their decision to respond to lobbyists and funders behind the brewing industry, which keeps the Conservative Party topped up, has come at a terrible priced for far too many people.