SCOTLAND the brave? Last week’s theme was how the odd, the unthinkable can become reality. Strange things do happen. But as we know, reality is boringly, even dismally, predictable. Life isn’t full of surprises.

This week I’ve been reading about the backsliding that’s currently going on about the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol. I didn’t need the smelling salts or a quick lie down to recover when I heard the news. It was all too predictable.

Sadly, when faced with the combined lobby of the drinks industry and the supermarkets – and a fair bit of public hostility – successive governments go weak at the knees when contemplating this step. Yet doctors, public health professionals and police all regard it as a essential if we are to stop the damage alcohol is doing to us.

I don’t need to go in to detail about that damage: the billions wasted in decreased productivity and bigger health bills; the violence and accidents on the roads and streets and in the home that is fuelled by scandalously cheap drink.

Neither do I need to highlight the failure of self-regulation – that was ably done by the director of the North-East Office for Alcohol in this newspaper a couple of days ago. His comments were reinforced by the Chief Constable of Durham, Jim Stoddart, in an excellent letter in a national newspaper.

As Mr Stoddart pointed out, the average person now drinks 11 litres of alcohol a year – double the amount consumed in the Fifties.

Police, GPs and accident and emergency units across the country see the effects of that over-consumption every day of the week.

They know what they are talking about.

They know too that while you can buy a fourpack of lager for a pound and a shot of vodka for 38p, the problem will persist.

The old argument against minimum pricing was that it wouldn’t change the behaviour of the problem drinker and that it would penalise the moderate, sensible consumer.

The argument ignored the fact that moderate drinkers and non-drinkers are already subsiding the dangerous, unhealthy lifestyle of others.

But there’s been a change. Now the received wisdom is that minimum pricing would break EU competition and would involve governments in costly legal challenges.

You could almost hear the sighs of relief from ministers when this loophole was discovered – Europe coming to the rescue for once.

The idea that we could challenge the status quo and make a change that would benefit the nation’s health and finances never seems to have entered the equation.

They see things differently in Scotland.

They’re introducing a minimum pricing bill that could be law by next summer. It is a brave and sensible move, a rare example of politicians doing what’s right rather than what’s convenient.

I know governments like to boast about breaking the mould, but the reality is that they spend a lot of their time tinkering round the edges.

Opportunities to make big, lasting changes for the better are few. This is one of them.

If we are serious about improving the nation’s health we should introduce minimum pricing and tell European courts and the drinks lobby to do their worst. Time and excuses are running out.

We need a pleasant surprise from our politicians.