Monday
Mar072011
The One to watch
Monday, March 7, 2011 at 16:42 Phone call from the BBC to say that Gyles Brandreth – who I saw on stage three weeks ago – has filmed an item about smoking to be broadcast on The One Show on Wednesday (No Smoking Day).
Should we be concerned? Well, from what I remember when I interviewed him some years ago, Brandreth is a liberal in the true sense of the word. By that I mean he is largely tolerant of other people's idiosynchracies and doesn't favour excessive regulation.
Then again, if you read his diaries there is only one conclusion to be drawn about his attitude to smoking. He doesn't approve. I would be surprised and disappointed, though, if he endorsed the Government's latest tobacco control initiatives live on national television.
Reader Comments (6)
Given the government's announcement on Wednesday, how apt that Panorama has just broadcast the programme which I think went out in Scotland a few weeks ago. I would think the conterfeiters and smugglers can't wait! All it needs is for George to increase duty and the Panorama programme will look like a recruitment video. You would think that Prohibition and the trillion dollar war on drugs had passed our betters by. Or maybe they don't know the meaning of 'unintended consequences' - like children buying counterfeit singles from gangsters. You sometimes wonder if the prodnoses are child abusers!
Of course the definition of a true liberal is the extent to which you're willing to defend the right of people to say and do things you don't like.
Don't you just wish you had access to the main stream media to put our case across in the same high profile way?
I couldn't possibly imagine Gyles would be asked by the BBC to defend persecuted smokers.
Dream on baby!
Just come back from the House of Commons from the debate on AV voting system and popped out to the open air for a cigarette. PC 888 Henley and Sgt Fitzgibbon were at pains to point out to me that the Serjeant At Arms have banned the public from smoking outside within the grounds.
Of course it does not apply to MPs and staff who have their own areas specially reserved.
The police were only doing their job, no doubt, but it just shows what hypocrites we have in charge of us. It appears now that possession of cigarettes now is equated with possession of high explosives. If someone was standing outside the Houses of Parliament with a rucksack full of explosives I could understand it. However, I know which person I would rather be standing next to, and it would be the person with the cigarette/cigar in their hand.
There are two policeman that we can do without for a start. Should not be too hard to find the rest of the 16,000 street cops needed to implement the cuts.
They can stop their crying now about losing jobs when this is what they do with their time on our money.