So, this is what we did yesterday.
As you know the Government is currently engaged in a "short, final" consultation on plain packaging.
Since public health minister Jane Ellison announced on April 3 that the Government was "minded" to introduce the policy Forest has been inviting members of the public to write to David Cameron opposing the measure:
Yesterday we delivered hard copies of those letters to Downing Street. Total: 53,196.
Understandably Downing Street didn't want them all delivered through the front door. Instead we were allowed to deliver 2,500 in a single box with the balance sent to another address nearby.
Permission to hand deliver had to be sought a couple of weeks in advance. No more than six petitioners are permitted entry to Downing Street, and placards, banners, loud hailers, fancy dress and any props are all prohibited.
The six petitioners had to be security checked so personal information was required a week in advance. On the day passports or driving licences were needed to confirm our identities.
(At this point I must thank the Downing Street Liaison Office run by the Metropolitan Police. They were extremely helpful and the entire procedure went like clockwork.)
Anyway, given the restrictions we decided to organise a photo shoot on College Green, opposite the Houses of Parliament, before we headed to Downing Street.
A full gallery of photos will be available later. In the meantime thanks to those who came along to support the cause.
Outside Number Ten (in the photo above) are me, Angela Harbutt, Martin Cullip and two Hands off Our Packs campaigners, Claire and Jess.
Others present included Chris Snowdon (IEA) and Kate Andrews and Charlotte Bowyer of the Adam Smith Institute.
Most important, thanks to everyone who sent a letter to the PM. I imagine they include many readers of this blog.
Finally thanks to photographer Dan Donovan who took the pics. Ten minutes after the Downing Street picture was taken we were in the Red Lion on Whitehall enjoying a well-deserved drink!
PS. Dan and Angela both asked the policeman outside Number Ten whether they could light up. The response, needless to say, was friendly but emphatic – smoking in Downing Street is verboten.
Let's hope David Cameron takes a more liberal view of plain packaging. Or, to put it another way: No, Prime Minister!
Note: you have 24 hours to respond to the Department of Health consultation on plain packaging. Click here or email TobaccoPackaging@dh.gsi.gov.uk.
