Simon Clark - Taking Liberties

Where were we?

Oh yes, my last post (on Tuesday) suggested the PM and his officials were struggling to shut down the plain packaging story.

So, how's that been going? I'll leave you to judge.

From The Times this morning:

Opponents of plans to introduce plain packaging, led by the pro-smoking group Forest, have urged the government to publish the report on last year’s consultation on the issue “without further delay”. Forest said it was “incomprehensible” that it would press ahead with legislation without doing so, while the Department of Health insisted the responses could be published “very soon”.

And here are a handful of tweets since I last posted.

Government urged to publish plain packaging consultation report and regulations http://t.co/EN6uZLDA0e
— Convenience Store (@CStoreMagazine) January 29, 2015

"Customer views will show plain packs isn't just a commercial argument," says Jacob Rees Mogg MP. His petition guide: http://t.co/fEIXjLKGXl
— Chris Gamm (@ChrisGammRN) January 29, 2015

Tory MP @PhilipDaviesMP calls plain packaging for cigarettes "idiotic nanny state proposals"
— Iain (@Iain_33) January 29, 2015

No 10 refuses to say if David Cameron backs standardised tobacco packaging #shambles http://t.co/7lGevsskX2
— Luciana Berger (@lucianaberger) January 29, 2015

.@lucianaberger is right, it's a shambles. Sort it out Prime Minister. Say no to plain packs! http://t.co/SxM75xvNkw pic.twitter.com/EJtkQbm0Zo
— Hands Off Our Packs (@NoToPlainPacks) January 29, 2015

PM's spokesman bizarrely won't say whether Cameron personally supports plain cigarette packaging, only that we can deduce he wants a vote
— Rowena Mason (@rowenamason) January 28, 2015

Plain tobacco packaging under threat from Conservative rebels: Government accused of bungling reforms http://t.co/4hf0GhyGG5
— SFTA (@scotfoodtrade) January 28, 2015

Packaging News | Plain pack opposition rises, Government urged to publish report http://t.co/TKDYPvPL0T
— Hands Off Our Packs (@NoToPlainPacks) January 28, 2015