Four years on, a town in Buckinghamshire wants to ban smoking outside
Friday, July 1, 2011 at 10:22 Four years ago today smoking was banned in every pub and club in England.
Where were you?
It was a Sunday and I was in the old Forest office in London, a short walk from Victoria Station (and Buckingham Palace), writing this blog post.
Surprisingly I was twiddling my thumbs. Media-wise the day was a damp squib because journalists had other things on their minds - flash floods, car bombs and the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport.
We did much of our media work earlier that week when journalists and broadcasters attended our Revolt In Style dinner at the Savoy Hotel.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph today assistant editor and leader writer Philip Johnston comments on yesterday's story that Stony Stratford, a small town in Buckinghamshire, wants to ban smoking outside. (A ban on outdoor smoking in Stony Stratford? Is this the Britain we want?),
Johnston is the author of Bad Laws: An Explosive Analysis of Britain's Petty Rules, Health and Safety Lunacies and Madcap Laws. Last year he was a speaker at one of our Free Society debates.
Reader Comments (6)
There is no law against smoking in open public places. NHS hospitals tried to ban smoking in their grounds, but had to admit that any such law could not be enforced.
please, please, please let them ban smoking in 'Stoney Stratford' and in every shared, public space. Then they can ban all sound. Then they can ban eating in such shared public spaces. Then they can ban all consumption of alcohol in such spaces. Then they can ban all kissing, touching and exchanges of meaningful glances. Then they can ban all coughing, spitting and sneezing. After that maybe loud breathing, being old, not being beautiful.
AT WHAT POINT WILL THE MORONS AMONG US SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING.
Correct me if I'm wrong, I would of thought If Stony-Sratford are trying to ban smoking in the street and every outdoor space, surely this would have to go through parliament so if the council are to introduce this bylaw to fine anyone caught smoking "would it be legitimate"so is there some sort of small print that we don't know about in this legalization. so then does this mean then, councils could then introduce a bylaw to AMEND smoking bans?. However I did listen to Talk Sport last night and about 11.20pm George Galloway had Amanda Sanford on from Ash and even she said (I can't see this going through) then came out with the normal rubbish. Although I'm no fan of Galloway's he couldn't speak about this without laughing because just how ridiculous this whole thing is.
Wearing his smoking Jacket this is what Nigel Farage thinks of the ban
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01263y9/Look_East_East_01_07_2011/
19 mins in
Will smoking jackets be the next in thing?
Good for Nigel F - no beating about the bush. :)
Any idea what the Communities Secretary thinks of this? I've not heard anything from Eric P yet.