The Elysée has dropped the corkscrew. France is banning booze at all music festivals under a red heatwave alert. The message to Britain is clear: get with the programme or get burned.
Downing Street is rattled. The French decree, signed off by President Macron's health minister, is a direct challenge to the UK's laissez-faire festival culture. Whitehall sources tell me the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is 'monitoring closely'. Translation: they are looking for an escape route. No one wants to be the minister who bans Pimm's at Glastonbury.
But the pressure is building. The extreme heat is not a one-off. It is the new normal. And the medical evidence is overwhelming. Alcohol exacerbates dehydration and heatstroke. The French have acted. The British government now faces a choice: follow suit or defend a status quo that looks increasingly reckless.
The real Game is inside the Cabinet. The Health Secretary is said to be sympathetic to the call. Public Health England (PHE) has already drafted guidance. But the Treasury is worried. A dry festival season would hit the hospitality industry hard. And the Home Office? They see a logistical nightmare: policing drunk revellers in 40-degree heat.
Meanwhile, the lobbyists are circling. The British Beer and Pub Association is furious. Their allies in Parliament are preparing to fight any move. But the backbenches are divided. The Tory green wing, led by Zac Goldsmith, is pushing for action. Labour's Shadow Health Secretary is demanding an emergency statement.
The polling is stark. Our latest survey shows 62% of the public support a ban under red alerts. Among festival-goers under 35, that figure rises to 74%. The voters are ahead of the politicians. That never ends well for the politicians.
So watch this space. The French ban is a trap. Either the UK matches it and faces industry backlash, or it ducks and looks weak on public health. This is the kind of wedge issue that can define a summer. And a government.
Eleanor Rigby, Political Bureau Chief
