Just after David Cameron decided to announce a bansturbation policy on alcohol – trebling the cost to drinkers – Greater Manchester police show that you don’t need to raise taxes to prevent alcohol-related violence. You just just arrest the people who are the problem.

A total of 529 people have been arrested in Greater Manchester in a major police operation targeting alcohol-related violent crime.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said about 3,000 officers and police staff are involved in Operation Admiral.

Police arrested 447 people on Friday, on top of a further 82 who have been held over the past few days…

GMP Deputy Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: “All too frequently, alcohol is a major cause of aggression and results in innocent people being subjected to violent and unprovoked assaults.

“But this is just the start of an ongoing process that will see Greater Manchester Police continually target those responsible for violent crime until the message sinks in.” (BBC)

Yes, by applyiong the law, they’re fixing the problem. And they don’t even need to hurt anyone who doesn’t actually cause the problems in the first place!

Rather than raising taxes on the vast law-abiding majority, those who cause the problems should be dealt with. By the use of the law if necessary and appropriate, and by the use of education.

You need to get the message that punishing everyone for the alcoholic abuse of a minority won’t work. Only those who cause the problems need to be dealt with; leave the rest of us alone. Don’t start to copy the bansturbationist tendencies of Labour and the Lib Dems.

The approach of the Greater Manchester Police is the correct one – praise it and copy it. It is the only solution that will work – and will win votes across the board.

Hat-tip: Dick Puddlecote