MUP falters again in Northern Ireland

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 25 March, 2026

Mike Nesbitt, the health minister for Northern Ireland, has said that he will be unable to deliver minimum unit pricing (MUP) before the Stormont election in May 2027, as reported by the BBC.

Nesbitt is the fifth health minister to attempt to introduce such legislation, which was first introduced by Edwin Poots of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in 2012.

MUP policies are in place in Scotland and Wales – in both, alcohol cannot be sold for less than 65p a unit.

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If Northern Ireland did introduce similar legislation, a 2.5 litre bottle of cider would almost double in price from £5.99 to at least £12.20.

Additionally, some of the cheapest vodka and whiskey would increase by around £6 a litre.

However, bars and restaurants would likely not be affected, as their prices are higher than the minimum already.

Agreement from all four parties (who share power) in the Northern Ireland Assembly could not be reached, with the DUP accused by the other parties of ‘blocking’ the proposals.

It was reported by the BBC that Diane Dodds – health spokesperson for the DUP – said that preventing alcohol harm required “not just one measure”.

She noted a lack of targeted detox and rehab services for young people and their children.

Nesbitt called her remarks “deflection”.

The health minister told the assembly that MUP would result in healthcare savings of £117.4m over 20 years.

Alcohol-related deaths remain a significant public health issue in Northern Ireland.

A report by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) published last month found that alcohol-specific deaths in the country increased 81% in the 10 years to 2024.

That year, there were 397 deaths caused exclusively by alcohol in Northern Ireland (2.2% of all deaths in the country), compared to 219 in 2014.

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