MPs vote in favour of plain packaging
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at 16:00 Further to my previous post BBC News has just reported that:
MPs have voted by a majority of 254 in favour of plain packaging of tobacco. Some 367 were in favour with 113 against in the free vote.
See MPs back standardised cigarette packaging (BBC News).
Forest's response:
Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest which runs the Hands Off Our Packs campaign, said:
"The Government has ignored a substantial backbench rebellion and the views of hundreds of thousands of people who opposed, by big majorities, plain packaging in two public consultations.
"Consumers are fed up being patronised by politicians of all parties. Smokers know there are health risks associated with tobacco. Plain packaging won't make any difference to adults or to children.
"What next? Standardised packaging for alcohol and sugary drinks?"
Most interest, I suspect, will be on the tobacco companies' next move. I imagine it will be similar to Ireland:
Three companies threaten legal action against new plain packaging laws (BreakingNews.ie)
Update: Given the circumstances I'm pretty happy with the level of opposition to plain packaging. It may have been a big majority but don't forget that Labour MPs had been whipped to vote in favour.
A dozen were expected to rebel and vote against so that leaves 100 or so Tory MPs who voted against.
That means one third of the parliamentary party voted against a Conservative-led government, which is not a bad result.
Update: 122 Tory MPs voted in favour of plain packaging, 104 against. That means that fewer than half of all Conservative MPs voted for plain packaging.
Reader Comments (8)
Unbelievable! Shame on the total gutless spineless idiots ignoring public opinion in favour of the puritans.I sincerely hope come may the mp's who voted for this will find themselves voted out.
I cannot begin to describe my hatred for those who chose to abuse me just because I have the audacity to smoke. Believe me I'm seriously holding back on the strong language here.
The Conservatives just lost the election. Ukip all the way. None of the other parties are worth supporting now. Who cares if Labour wins. LibLabCon - all the same. The smokerphobic thugs have just destroyed 50 years of protection for kids from buying tobacco and handed control of sales over to criminals.
Clearly they need to encourage child sales of tobacco to encourage new addicts to ensure their fat salaries in tobacco control continue.
Which industry will be hit next? I'll bet that middle class snobs like Berger and obese Ellison would never attack wine as it is so fashionable these days but maybe beer. It is rather a little too working class for that sort of fascist.
They make me sick.
Further to my last comment. What's the betting Arnott repeated her 'confidence trick'?
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/jul/19/health.healthandwellbeing
"It is essential that campaigners create the impression of inevitable success. Campaigning of this kind is literally a confidence trick: the appearance of confidence both creates confidence and demoralises the opposition. The week before the free vote we made sure the government got the message that we "knew" we were going to win and it would be better for them to be on the winning side."
Gee, what a surprise.
What a waste of time and money.
What a despicable, fascist action.
What a sad indictment on the state of the State.
Beyond time to start buying abroad, I think.
Adam - Arnott et al more than repeated their confidence trick - they showed how they, as unelected Government funded lobbyists, can take complete control of our political system when they made sure this happened on their own national no smoking day. Oh how they must be crowing.
Our elected representatives are no better when they totally ignore the public and give in to lying bullies. 367 unworthy wimps.
No surprise really. It is just a sad indictment of the intellectual qualities of our political classes (regardless of left, middle or right wings). They continue to pass laws that further weaken our freedoms of choice based on non-existent evidence that it will make one iota of difference. If Big Tobacco is really "Big", this nonsense should ( I say should) be thrown out on brand protection laws alone. The counterfeiters cannot believe their luck - absolute crass stupidity! It is about time we demanded a mass cull of these 650 tax-wasting morons to a level of 300 or less.
Let there be political party suicide.
It's now time to start the campaign to repeal this unfortunate law and reverse de fact prohibition.