Edinburgh University students ban beer giant SABMiller from union bar

Published on Sunday 19 February 2012 00:09

THIS could be interpreted as taking an ethical stance too far, especially where students are concerned.

A student’s union, which traditionally are associated with sticky-floored discos and exuberant undergraduate excess, has voted to ban beer sold by a global brewing giant.

Edinburgh University Students Association (EUSA) has voted to exclude beers sold by SABMiller, which means fashionable imported lagers such as Grolsch, Peroni, Miller, Pilsner Urquell and Tyskie will have no place in any of the institution’s bars.

The beers join Israeli mineral water, pole dancing, cigarettes, lad mags and even Yorkie bars as consumer goods or activities that have been banned from students’ unions in Scotland.

Phillipa Faulkner, EUSA’s vice president, confirmed the boycott, saying: “In a referendum students voted to ban SABMiller products from our bars because of their tax policies, which we consider to be unethical.

“We are a democratic organisation and the decision to ban a product is based on a mandate from our members.”

The beer ban follows a report published by the charity ActionAid which alleged that SABMiller has avoided paying a total of around £20 million of corporation tax in five African countries. The company denies the accusation, saying it was a major investor in the countries concerned.

EUSA has already banned the display of tobacco products in its outlets over “health concerns” and maintains a long-standing boycott of Nestlé products. Last week, the St Andrews Students Association voted to stop banking with RBS because of its involvement in controversial oil extraction projects in Canada.

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Velv

Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 11:04 AM

So 10 out of 10 for making an ethical stance. But minus several thousand for actually investigating the other brewers - almost all of them have substantial skeletons in their closet somewhere in the world. Edinburgh Uni the first dry Uni in Europe? Somehow I think there might be more students actually vote if the move was to ban all brewers.

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