When all else fails, bring on the kids
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 18:08 Our old friend Stephen Williams MP tweets:
Why I back a youth campaign to stop tobacco companies from hooking young people into smoking
He then links to his website where he has posted a copy of a letter from a boy named Liam who has written to both prime minister David Cameron and health secretary Jeremy Hunt.
There's no mention of how old Liam is but it's always a sign of desperation when campaigners go public with letters from children to politicians.
It's pretty low too because it's difficult to respond without appearing indifferent or, worse, callous.
Next thing you know we'll be accused of bullying and goodness knows what else - child abuse, probably.
Anyway, you can read the full letter here: Chair of Parliamentary Cross-Party Smoking and Health Group welcomes youth campaign to protect his friends from tobacco.
PS. Sadly you can't comment which is possibly deliberate after what happened the last time Williams wrote about plain packaging on his blog.
He got over 1300 comments, not all of them complimentary!!
See: Tobacco plain packs - a protection against the 'silent salesman'.
Reader Comments (14)
More emotional rubbish for the sensitive and gullible. The depths that these people will sink to. Physciatric wards spring to mind.
Grandad's Law applies - if you're on the back foot and want to push through unpopular policy - then use children as human shields and throw them into the front line.
http://harridanic.com/wiki/Grandad's_Law
How low and immoral can these people get?
How do we know that the letter was written by a child, anyway?
When I read phrases like "Last year Australia introduced plain packaging for cigarettes. Their cigarettes are now sold in an unattractive dull green box with graphic health warnings.", I don't see the typical language of a mid-teenager, (and from Darlington to boot).
The whole letter is dripping with ASH-style sound-bites, and just looks as if it was dictated by an anti-smoker (parent?, teacher, maybe?), and young Liam is just a human shield.
Maybe, though, Liam is real and his surname is Arnott! Williams, perhaps? Gilmore? Pell?
Or is he really Liam Glantz?
I think we should be told!
I doubt the "letter" was written by any child or teenager under 18 -- I suspect someone much older wrote it. The language is too precise, the punctuation (the use of an em dash), and the tone of the letter suggests it was written by an adult who is working in tobacco control. Because, honestly, kids really do not care about plain packs -- only hateful, scumbag tobacco controllers do.
Even though you cannot comment on Swilliams's site you can comment here on Lib Dem Steve Beasant's site:
http://stevebeasant.mycouncillor.org.uk/2013/04/30/stephen-williams-welcomes-youth-campaign-to-protect-his-friends-from-tobacco/
Liam is fourteen-years-old, by the way, and this is Fresh NE's doing:
http://m.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/darlington/10284044.Teenage_anti_smoking_activists_recognised_recognised_for_their_efforts/
Appalling Cynicism
Quite clearly this letter is designed to tug at the heart strings, after all who doesn’t want to protect children; unfortunately this is a cynical and obvious attempt by adults to sway public opinion in the hope that further pressure will commit politicians to bring in ever more draconian measures to bolster their crusade against people who enjoy tobacco.
It would appear that this Liam (if he exists) knows an awful lot about this issue; he coherently tells us about the introduction of plain packaging in Australia, and with an assurance way beyond his years, proclaims that ‘plain packing (sic) lower the number of first time smokers’. Oh man that’s beautiful – I wonder where on earth he could have got that from.
How many teenagers do you know have any grasp of this supposed depth about any issue let alone about the nuances concerning smoking? Perhaps this teenager can give us his thoughts on the fiscal deficit from a soap-box outside the school gates – eh?
It goes without saying this letter has been put together by the usual suspects – and that’s what makes this nonsense suck – it’s just too obvious boys and girls.
The major problem with politicians is that they lack common sense, because they live in rarefied atmosphere and never mix with ordinary people, so it never occurs to them that this obvious and amateurish ploy would be spotted a mile off. I just hope Jeremy Hunt has a bit more wit and imagination to see through this.
Just out of interest Nigel Farage has promised to repeal the smoking ban - the first time this has ever been said by a member of any political party. This article appeared in the Huffington Post and comes from (where else) the ASH site, and the usual trolls are out in force, however if you feel so inclined then why not give your thoughts too.
He needs help here: Huffington Post
Nigel Farage could do with some support here,
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/30/nigel-farage-smoking-ban-germany-_n_3182909.html?
Nigel Farrage says smoking ban " silly and illiberal "
Bristol's "Liberal" Voice demonstrates that he is anything but through yet another nausea inducing stunt that involves putting words into the mouth of someone presumably too young to be a legitimate part of the political process. Or do we really think that Liam came up with some of the language used all by himself out of compassion for his poor dad?
Unscrupulous characters throughout history have sought to manipulate public opinion through the abuse of our natural feelings towards children. However, I think that Stephen may be unique in that he is the first to use such base tactics whilst claiming to be liberal. I am happy to be wrong if others can provide further examples of people misrepresenting themselves in this way.
He isn't liberal. People who use children in this way usually aren't.
@Jay - Is it me, or do junk scientists seem to get younger every day?
'The students’ research revealed that smoking remains the single biggest cause of unnecessary ill health and premature death through cancer, heart disease and stroke and costs the NHS £7bn a year.'
@David It's not you. Considering the young Liam currently is a student "journalist," I think that bit of information would help to answer your question.
Give that boy a job on the Darlington Advertiser. Hold it open for him until he comes back from Harvard. What a beautifully written letter. His parents should be proud of him. Even a disgusting loser smoker can provide a child with an excellent education.
Oh, by the way, just in - a letter from my Grand daughter to the PM : "Ples leve my granney alun coz she smoces. She luvs me and my littel bruvver and wud neva harm us so stop bulling her " Could you forward it on Simon?
Both myself and the before mentioned Liam are reading the comments with great interest and amusement. I am a senior leader in Liam's school and supervise Liam is his role as editor of the school newspaper. He is a very articulate pupil who has a writing ability beyond his years. He also has an excellent sense of humour and takes many of the statements made above as compliments on his literary skills.
Anyone wishing to see Liam and his team's work can see this on the Wyvern pages of our school website www.dsms.org
And for interest, an example of my grandaughter's work can be found here http://patstoriesandtales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-best-grandkids.html
Maybe she doesn't write as well as Liam but her intentions are as honourable. Maybe the PM will listen to her too