Coming soon ... Action on Consumer Choice (no more meddling!)
Friday, May 24, 2013 at 9:30 
I'm in London today to discuss a new campaign ...
Action on Consumer Choice.
As of today you can follow it on Twitter.
When it's launched Action on Consumer Choice will focus on consumer products including tobacco, food and drink.
The idea goes back seven (!) years. In 2006, inspired by the Washington-based Center for Consumer Freedom, I wanted to launch a UK version called the Centre for Consumer Choice.
Funding however proved elusive.
Instead we launched The Free Society and focused on developing a loose network of like-minded groups and individuals online and through events such as the Voices of Freedom debates at the IEA.
The original Freedom Zone was part of that concept. Ditto the Liberty Lounge which we launched last year.
Overall it worked quite well but the time now feels right to revive our original idea – a consumer group that fights the health police on the battlegrounds of choice and personal responsibility.
Naturally the EU will be in our sights, whether it's the Tobacco Products Directive, which threatens consumer choice in several areas, or attempted measures such as this – Olive oil jugs and dipping bowls to be banned by European Commission (a proposal abandoned this week after a public outcry).
Watch this space for developments. In the meantime don't forget to follow us on Twitter.
Simon Clark
Right: mock cover for proposed magazine, Consumer Choice.
The idea for a quarterly publication featuring interviews, reports and opinion on lifestyle issues could be revived for the new campaign.
Below: a retro style logo, one of many that were considered when the Centre for Consumer Choice was conceived in 2006.
Another option featured a doughnut for the 'o' in 'Consumer' ... I kid you not.
Reader Comments (5)
Good luck - it's about time. This is just what we need. Other consumer orgs like Which? don't stand up for us and sold us out to the FCTC as did Consumers International - without asking us first of course.
It's great to know that we harassed consumers, seen as easy targets by healthists, now have someone standing up for our right to consume freely any legal product we like without attack or ridicule.
Thanks. This is long overdue.
Don't lump tobacco in with food and drink.
Trying to find supporters for your tobacco cause by masking it with 'consumer choice', that's pathetic.
Errr Jon - tobacco consumers ARE consumers and they are entitled to choice.
"Don't lump tobacco in with food and drink.
Trying to find supporters for your tobacco cause by masking it with 'consumer choice', that's pathetic." - jon
Note the "that's pathetic" at the end. This dismissive statement is typical of the way in which so many of the scientifically illiterate cannon fodder of tobacco control deal with anything - lots of dismissive statements but no decent arguments to back them up. In fact, so stupid are so many of them that I'm surprised jon didn't end up with the words "that's obvious".
Either way, this comment is the mark of a class 'A' wally, or, hang on, does he qualify instead for the full blown status of buffoon?
Jon is a fat anti-smoker.