Alex Salmond was criticised today after appearing to characterise Scotland as a “nation of drunks”.
The Scottish First Minister claimed in a GQ magazine interview that the country had a destructive relationship with alcohol caused partially by a lack of confidence as a country.
He said: “I promote whisky. I do it on the argument that it’s a quality drink, has a worldwide cachet, that its recent great success in markets like China is about social emulation and authenticity, not cheapness.
“My argument is that if you are promoting it as authentic and of great worth, you cannot promote it from a nation of drunks.”
But critics called his comments a “slur” on the people of Scotland. Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: “It would be offensive to hear from a foreigner, but for our own First Minister to hold these views is simply breathtaking and frankly unacceptable in a national leader.”
Mr Salmond’s SNP government has plans to introduce a 50p-per-unit “minimum price” for alcohol in Scotland.
