Groups, Governance and the Development of UK Alcohol Policy: an Adversarial Policy Communities Approach

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Online Repository of Birkbeck Institutional Theses Groups, governance and the development of UK alcohol policy: An Adversarial Policy Communities Approach Gareth Paul Barrett A thesis presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Politics Birkbeck, University of London January 2020 1 Declaration of Work I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the PhD degree of the University of London is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. 2 Abstract The governance of UK alcohol policy looks like a textbook case of decision-making by a closed community of policymakers and industry insiders, but this thesis challenges this view. Drawing on Jordan and Richardson’s policy communities approach and Dudley and Richardson’s later work on adversarial policy communities, it examines the complex development of UK alcohol policy using archival sources, government and pressure group reports, news releases and historic media coverage going back over a century. The primary focus of this research is Westminster, but the importance of subnational policy communities is also considered through an examination of Scottish alcohol policy development. Through case studies of four key areas of UK alcohol policy – licensing, drink- driving, pricing and wider alcohol strategies – this thesis finds that the governance of UK alcohol policy is formed within policy communities, but ones that are much less closed and much more adversarial than traditionally thought. Alcohol- producer groups exert significant influence on UK alcohol policy, but their influence peaked in the 1960s. Thereafter, policy communities fragmented as intra-industry divisions widened and public health groups made their influence felt. This research demonstrates that the policy community approach, in its adversarial form, remains relevant for understanding periods of policy stability and more radical reform in British politics. Further work is nonetheless required to understand more clearly the politics of collaboration and outsourcing within this variant of policy communities. 3 Table of Contents Tables 6 Acknowledgements 9 Chapter 1 Government, policy, legitimacy and the study of alcohol 11 1.1. Policy Communities – a British typology? 13 1.2. Alcohol policy – influence and the influential 19 1.3. Policy communities, alcohol policy and the UK 21 1.4. Methods and dissertation plan 24 Chapter 2 Policy Communities in Contemporary Politics 29 2.1. The original policy community approach 31 2.2. Policy communities in crisis? 37 2.3. The return of policy communities 48 2.4. Operationalising the policy community approach 53 2.5. Conclusion 56 Chapter 3 The development of Licensing Acts Comparisons and contrasts between 1964 and 2003 59 3.1. The build-up to the Licensing Act 1964 62 3.2. The development of the Licensing Act 2003 76 3.3. The Licensing Act (Scotland) 2005 and the public health objective 93 3.4. Conclusion 96 Chapter 4 Drink-Driving – unacceptable or negotiable? The development and review of Britain’s Drink-Driving Laws 100 4.1. The development of drink-driving policy 103 4.2. Review and development of the drink-driving laws 111 4.3. Scotland – a different road travelled? 128 4.4. Conclusion 134 Chapter 5 Alcohol price Too high or too low? From monopolies to minimum unit pricing 138 4 5.1. Brewers’ monopolies and pricing for increased profit 140 5.2. Price and policy – departments in conflict 150 5.3. From tax rises to Minimum Unit Pricing to a penny off a pint 158 5.4. Scottish attempts at Minimum Unit Pricing 170 5.5. Conclusion 176 Chapter 6 Alcohol strategies A comprehensive approach to tackle alcohol harm? 179 6.1. Temperance and the alcoholic 180 6.2. The modern development of alcohol strategies 190 6.3. The Public Health Responsibility Deal and the Alcohol Responsibility Network 203 6.4. The Scottish model for alcohol policy communities 209 6.5. Conclusion 216 Chapter 7 Conclusion Alcohol, policy communities and policy networks 220 7.1. Alcohol case studies – consideration of policy communities 224 7.2. Who governs alcohol policy? 232 7.3. Alcohol policy – lessons for products with public health concerns 234 7.4. Policy communities and network literature 239 7.5. Conclusion 241 Chapter 8 Bibliography 244 Annex A 257 5 Tables Table Page Table 2.1. 43 Marsh and Rhodes Typology of a Policy Community Table 2.2. 54 The Daugbjerg Typology of Policy Communities Table 2.3. 55 Adapting the Daugbjerg Typology for Adversarial Policy Communities Table 3.1. 70 The policy communities surrounding the development of the Licensing Act 1964 to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 3.2. 73 The policy communities surrounding the development of the Licensing Act 1964 compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 3.3. 86 The policy communities surrounding the development of the Licensing Act 2003 to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 3.4. 89 The policy communities surrounding the development of the Licensing Act 2003 compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 4.1. 108 The policy community surrounding the development of the laws on drink- driving compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 4.2. 110 The policy communities surrounding the development of the laws on drink- driving compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 4.3. 116 The policy community surrounding the recommendations of the Blennerhassett Report compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 4.4. 118 The policy communities surrounding the recommendations of the Blennerhassett Report compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 4.5. 126 The policy community surrounding the North Review compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities 6 Table 4.6. 127 The policy communities surrounding the North Review compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for Adversarial Policy Communities Table 4.7. 132 The policy community surrounding the North Review in Scotland compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 4.8. 133 The policy communities surrounding the North Review in Scotland compared to the adapted Daugbjerg Typology for Adversarial Policy Communities Table 5.1. 146 The policy community surrounding the complaints of brewery profiteering compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 5.2. 147 The policy communities surrounding the complaints of brewery profiteering compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 5.3. 155 The policy community surrounding consideration of taxation as a health tool compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 5.4. 156 The policy communities surrounding consideration of taxation as a health tool compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 5.5. 166 The policy communities surrounding the end of Labour and the Coalition term compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 5.6. 168 The policy communities surrounding the end of Labour and the Coalition term compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 6.1. 184 The policy communities surrounding the first attempts of alcohol strategies compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 6.2. 185 The policy communities surrounding first attempts of alcohol strategies compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 6.3. 189 The policy communities surrounding the consideration of policy towards alcoholics compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities 7 Table 6.4. 198 The policy communities surrounding the more modern alcohol strategies compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 6.5. 200 The policy communities surrounding the 1980s alcohol strategy developments compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 6.6. 201 The policy communities surrounding the New Labour Government’s Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategies compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 6.7. 207 The policy communities surrounding the Public Health Responsibility Deal compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 6.8. 212 The policy communities surrounding the Scottish model for alcohol strategy compared to the Daugbjerg (1998) typology of policy communities Table 6.9. 214 The policy communities surrounding alcohol policy developments during the Scottish Labour Executive period compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table 6.10. 215 The policy communities surrounding the SNP policy development on alcohol compared to the adapted Daugbjerg typology for adversarial policy communities Table A.1. 257 Alcohol Legislation – Overview from the 12th Century to the 21st Century 8 Acknowledgments Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisors Dermot Hodson and Ben Worthy. Over what has been too many years, you have provided counsel, support and

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