Valerie Vaz, friend or foe?

Between now and the General Election on May 7 I'm highlighting a series of 'target seats', those where the candidate standing for re-election has supported anti-tobacco policies, and those where a leading candidate is an opponent of excessive lifestyle regulations and policies that infantilise us all. With a few exceptions I'm focussing on marginal or semi-marginal seats.

#26 - Walsall South
First elected in 2010, Labour's Valerie Vaz was quickly elected to the Health Select Committee and wasted no time establishing her anti-tobacco credentials, voting against David Nuttall's proposed amendment to the smoking ban. In July 2013 she asked the following parliamentary question, “Apart from vending machines, what public health initiatives is the Minister going to undertake immediately to stop 570 children a day taking up smoking?” She subsequently supported the ban on smoking in private vehicles (with children) and was a keen and vocal advocate of plain packaging. Vaz also supports higher taxes on alcoholic drinks and in 2012 commented, "Alcohol is linked to many other diseases, and to violent crimes, domestic violence and anti-social behaviour. In my view, there should not be 24-hour licensing. Before the law was changed pubs used to close at 11pm and people knew it was time to go home.”

2010 majority: 1,755 (4.3%)
Estimated number of smokers in Walsall South: 12,958*
Principal opponent: Conservative
Friend or foe: Foe
Target rating: Vulnerable

*Based on 20% of the registered electorate in 2010

Note: marginal seats have been defined as those with majorities of 10% or less that require a swing of 5% for the incumbent party to lose.