Get the party started
Wednesday, May 8, 2013 at 9:50 At last, the long-awaited Queen's Speech.
For most people this archaic event is of very little interest. If you're engaged in a constant battle against excessive legislation, however, it's a harbinger of things to come.
Indeed, ever since the consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco closed in August last year we've had one eye on the consultation report, the other on the Queen's Speech.
As the months ticked by and there was still no sign of the report we had a sneaking suspicion that the Government might ignore the very strong arguments against plain packaging (and the 500,000 people who signed petitions against it) and include it in the legislative programme anyway.
Two months ago our fears grew when, quoting a "senior Whitehall source" now thought to be public health minister Anna Soubry, the Guardian ran a front page report with the headline, Government to legislate for plain cigarette packaging this year.
Although David Cameron denied a decision had been made, we couldn't be sure. Our campaign continued.
Today, a week after the Sun reported that plain packaging was not going to be in the Queen's Speech, I am looking forward to official confirmation.
Later, in a mood of quiet contemplation (!), I will join colleagues for a drink or three. After 15 months' relentless campaigning I think we deserve it.
After that? Watch this space.
PS. I'm not going to name all the people, including bloggers, who have helped the Hands Off Our Packs campaign, but you know who you are.
Thanks!
Reader Comments (10)
May I be the first to say thankyou for all your efforts. Relax for the rest of the day, you derserve it.
How to make a zealot choke!
You Simon and Forest with your relentless campaigning against so called ‘plain packaging’ will be applauded long into the night for this great success. The tobacco control lobby, health lobby and any other anti-smoking zealots that have crossed our path have been well and truly routed. When the people speak through 500,000 votes, as they did with the ‘Hands off Our Packs’ campaign, then the government of which ever hue, has to listen and take note of what ordinary people are saying – after all it’s them that are most affected by this and not the politicians.
Without Forest as a focal point for angry and disillusioned freedom lovers who just happen to enjoy a legal product called tobacco, then it would be virtually impossible to fight these people. The beauty of all this quite simply, is that despite the massive amount of money ranged against us – it was all in the end to no avail.
We of course would hope that more is yet to come and I for one believe this is only a start of the crumbling of the tobacco control edifice.
Great Queen’s speech – no mention of ‘Plain Packaging’, this must stick in the anti-smoking zealots craw!
Cheers!
An article in the guardian suggests that although it will not be in the Queens speech, it is more of a case of ' we will wait and see ' other than it,s been abandoned.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/may/08/queens-speech-alcohol-cigarettes-not-abandoned?#start-of-comments
however it,s certainly good news for now.
Sheila, it's called spin. I don't doubt that plain packaging will rear it's head again, but for the moment it has clearly been abandoned. Let's enjoy the moment - they don't come too often!!
Believe me Simon I am enjoying the moment,
Meanwhile there is another article in the Mail that needs plenty of comments
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2321010/Were-giving-pubs--beer-Number-closing-week-reaches-26-sales-lager-fall-year-low.html
We,re giving up on our pubs. I wonder why.
Thanks Simon and all. Common sense at last. let's hope the Govt abandons the whole Nanny State ideology. Cameron seemed to infer that there were far more crucial matters to deal with.
As for me, I would go and have a drink to celebrate but I've been socially excluded from pubs since July 1, 2007, so I'll raise my glass at home to the heroes who fought this battle and won. Thankyou xx
Great work and persistence Simon - that's phase one out of the way, which proves we do have allies in our fight. Now for phase two, which is going to prove a lot harder!
Yes, thank you Simon and to everyone else who contributed. It must often feel like a thankless task with TC relentlesslessly on the offensive. It only takes one little chink in the armour, though...
I'll raise a glass in my virtual pub :)
I feel elated. Isn't it amazing that after all 'they' have done to us, 'they' being the tobacco control lobbyists, I should feel so victorious.
We will never know what went on in the top secret discussions, what we do know is this. Although it is not PC to tell the public about well regulated protest, 500,000 signatures' police, MPs and commerce do not go unnoticed behind closed doors. Add to that the FI facts disclosed on blogs such as Dick Puddlecote, and many others, disclosing the corrupt practice of the anti tobacco shills.
Special thanks to Angela Harbutt, and her appointee, yes, that is you Mr Clark. Angela did a fantastic campaign, and, may I add, that my appreciation of Ms Harbutt is not through 'beer goggles'.
Yes, credit where credit is due. Great job Simon, Angela and co, very well done indeed!
However, moments of glory are fleeting and this anti-smoker campaign will only finally go away when ETS gets into court and is shown to be a scam. How that happens has taxed many fine minds, but somehow or other, it has to happen.