Smoking in cars: those interviews in full
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 at 23:32 
It's late and I'm tired.
Frankly, I've neither the time nor the inclination to analyse what went on today so I'll just list the interviews I did and the various locations. Make of it what you will.
First port of call was BBC Television Centre in west London. Here's the schedule I was given, beginning at 7.10 and finishing at 10.30:
BBC Radio Five Live Breakfast
BBC Radio Four Today programme
BBC Breakfast (BBC1)
BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Oxford
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Five Live Phone-in
BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester
BBC Radio Wiltshire
BBC Radio Stoke
BBC Radio York
BBC Radio Manchester
BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire
BBC News Channel (above)
Next stop was Millbank Studios in Westminster where I was interviewed by:
Scottish Television
BBC Radio Two (Jeremy Vine Show)
BBC Radio Wales (phone-in)
Sky News (live interview)
Sky News (recorded interview)
ITV Lunchtime News
Then it was back to Television Centre to record an interview for the BBC's Six O'Clock News.
Finally I had to drive back into central London for an interview with the ITV Evening News and that was it.
Truth is, we couldn't meet every request for an interview because there were just too many. Thanks however to my Free Society colleague Tom Miers, we came pretty close. Tom did BBC Radio Lincolnshire, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, BBC Radio Tees, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio Wales.
See: Car smoking ban: Forest says evidence is 'flimsy' (BBC News Channel)
Listen: 'Smoking in cars is individual choice' (Today, BBC Radio 4)
Update: Car smoking ban (ITV Lunchtime News)
Reader Comments (9)
Excellent interview.
Well done, Simon. Much appreciated.
Likewise
Hard to cope with, Simon. Well done.
Time to go onto the offensive when possible? I think so. The BMA have exposed their underbelly.
I'll echo the other comments Simon - well done. I did note the BBC news spoke to smokers saying they're peed off with the whole thing - smokers views wouldn't have been aired a year ago - and if I remember other comments from you, Simon, in the past - it was common for the media not to call you. That's changing isn't it? Also, reading the comments on newspaper sites - from The Sun to the Guardian, it seems that there is a growing anti nanny state view.
Have a relaxing weekend Simon, we all know you deserve it. With our thanks.
The DT has a good piece today with a predictably lively ongoing comments section.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8894389/All-these-smoking-bans-have-left-me-fuming.html
Yes thanks Simon. I do one interview in every so often and it really takes it out of me especially as I get stalked afterwards by an abusive smokerphobic which really isn't pleasant so a whole day of that would finish me off.
I hope you don't attract such nutters too and that you are able to take a rest afterwards to wind down.
I also did Radio Lincs yesterday morning and Dave Atherton was out and about all over the place too. I do hope the media eventually cottoned on that this was a lie not aimed at protecting children but to encouraged further disdain and abuse against smokers.
I have to say that is a particularly punishing schedule Simon. It must be gratifying that you had quite a lot of back up yesterday.
Patsy Nurse was on Radio Lincolnshire too.
Chris Snowdon on Radio Sussex and BBC World.
Mark Littlewood was on Sky News and BBC News Channel.
I was on Radio WM (Birmingham), Radio Stoke, Radio Humberside and was on the BBC News Channel at 8.20. I am very tired and stressed from doing just four interviews, you must be very fatigued from your excellent contributions.
Wow. Well done, Simon! What a schedule! And thank you, too, to all you other stalwarts who accepted the invitations to get a six penn'orth in on behalf of the rest of us. You're certainly all a lot braver than I am - and quite how you all keep your cool when face to face with these bullies-masquerading-as-concerned-people never ceases to amaze me!
I think it's very pertinent that you are all actually being asked to comment these days, and a sign of a real turning of the tide by the media to match a similar turning amongst members of the viewing and listening public - both smoking and non-smoking - in the wake of the smoking ban. In previous years the antis would all have been given centre stage as the appointed "experts" and any counter-arguments would have been left in the hands of an, often, anti-smoking interviewer who might ask a few rather limp, ineffectual questions purely in order to provide a facade of "impartiality."
Well done and thank you to all of you.