The minority SNP government’s plans to adopt a minimum price for alcohol appear doomed after Labour’s appointment of a new shadow health secretary who is strongly against the move.

Jackie Baillie, whose constituency includes a big whisky firm employing 600 people, was appointed to the shadow health portfolio this week by Iain Gray, the Labour leader at Holyrood.

The SNP has proposed minimum pricing to tackle Scotland’s levels of drinking. It needs the support of at least one opposition party to force minimum pricing through Parliament, so Ms Baillie’s support for the proposal would be vital.

She is known to be openly against the measure on the grounds that she is unconvinced about the public health benefits and believes that jobs in Scotland could be put at risk.

Without Labour support, the Nationalists’ chances of getting its Bill through parliament are almost non-existent in the face of overwhelming opposition from a coalition of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative MSPs.

The Bill, which contains the proposal to introduce a minimum price of 40p per 10 millilitre unit of alcohol for drink sold in supermarkets and off-sales north of the Border, is due to be published next month.

Labour has been in private discussions for some weeks with Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP Health Secretary, in an attempt to find common ground on the legislation.

Labour’s side of these talks had involved Cathy Jamieson, who was shadow health spokeswoman until the appointment of Ms Baillie this week and was described by sources as “persuadable” on minimum pricing.

It was being pointed out at Holyrood last night that Ms Baillie, who is on record as saying that there is “insufficient evidence” for minimum pricing, has a major constituency issue to consider since Chivas Bros, the makers of Chivas Regal, employs 600 workers at its plant in her Dumbarton constituency. The whisky industry in Scotland has been vociferous in its condemnation of minimum pricing, saying that it represents a big threat to sales and Scottish jobs.

A parliamentary defeat for the plan will represent a serious setback for the SNP, which has justified the proposal on public health grounds. Scotland’s drink culture is estimated to cost its economy £2.25 billion a year in health and social services funding, crime and lost days from work.

A study by academics at Sheffield University has indicated that minimum pricing and a promotions ban would save 70 lives in the first year after implementation, rising to 370 lives a year after a decade. That would mean that deaths from drinking in Scotland would fall by 5 per cent in the first year and more than 25 per cent by the tenth year.

It is understood that senior figures in the Labour Party believe that a European Court opinion which cast doubt on the legality of the proposals gives them sufficient cover to allow them to withhold support.

Labour has suggested that the Bill should include a national mandatory Challenge 21 scheme intended to prevent alcohol getting into the hands of children, alcohol treatment and testing orders to tackle problem drinking, and tougher sanctions for those who break the licensing laws.

Victory on minimum pricing will not be cost-free for the Opposition parties since SNP ministers will be quick to point out that they are ignoring the strong advice of the police and a wide range of health professionals and publicans who are strongly in favour of the move.

The Labour group of MSPs at Holyrood has been split on the issue but the resolve of those opposed was stiffened last week when the Advocate General of the European Court issued an opinion rejecting the idea of setting a minimum price in order to protect public health health.

The opinion related to minimum pricing laws that were to have been introduced on tobacco products in France, Austria and Ireland. It dismissed an argument from France and Austria that the law was to be introduced on public health grounds and should therefore not be considered on competition grounds.

The argument is broadly similar to the one put forward by the SNP government in defence of its plan to outlaw cheap alcohol. SNP ministers say they have their own legal advice that minimum pricing would not fall foul of European law, but so far they have refused to publish that advice.

It has been estimated that minimum pricing would lead to the cost of a bottle of own-label supermarket vodka rising from the £7 to around £10.50, while the price of strong supermarket cider would rise from below £3 for three litres to more than £6.50. An average bottle of wine would cost at least £3.60 and a six-pack of lager £4.80.

The Scotch Whisky Association said that the price of a bottle of whisky would rise to £11.20.

Critics of the proposals say that evidence from abroad suggests the policy would not work and that it would not address the problems that lead people to drink too much.

Ms Baillie said last night that she wanted to see the government evidence to support the legality of minimum pricing. “Scotland does have a problem with drink but the debate should be about trying to find the right solution. I have been asked to do the job of shadow health secretary and I will listen to the health arguments. My reservations have been on the basis of not being convinced of the arguments for it,” she said.

A spokesman for the Scottish government said: “We would expect all MSPs to decide the issue in the interests of public health. Opposition parties should think long and hard about not supporting it.”

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