A report in yesterday's Independent included a quote from the head of Public Health England’s tobacco control programme.
It's Martin Dockrell, former director of research and policy at ASH.
Dockrell moved to ASH (from Asthma UK) as head of policy in 2006. His title later changed to policy and campaigns manager and, most recently, director of policy and research.
I wasn't aware he had left but the loss of her deputy possibly explains Deborah Arnott's foul mood the other month. It must be tough fighting big bad tobacco without your terrier like sidekick on hand.
Anyway, it's an interesting appointment. Was it advertised? How many candidates were interviewed?
Now, I've no idea what Dockrell's politics are but three years ago he wrote this article for the left wing blog Left Foot Forward: Is Big Tobacco blowing smoke in Cameron’s eyes?.
(In response I wrote What do ASH and Left Foot Forward have in common?)
In April 2012 he posted How plain packaging on cigarettes will work and last year added a further piece to the same forum: This surrender to the tobacco industry will result in more young people and children smoking.
Were these articles helpful to Martin's appointment at PHE? I don't know, but it's fun to speculate.
Anyway, here's an article by Chris Snowdon that responds to comments made by Dockrell in 2009. Published by Spiked the subtitle was, 'Anti-smoking activists are now comparing their critics to Holocaust deniers. It is a vile attempt to shut down debate': Smoking out ‘deniers’ and ‘dissidents’.
I don't think Dick Puddlecote was a fan either.