Public health minister in unabashed show of support for ASH report launch
Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at 7:00 I have in my hand an invitation to attend the Smoking Still Kills report launch at the House of Commons later today.
It's not addressed to me, obviously, although I did email the organisers (ASH) to ask if I could go. (I'm waiting for a reply.)
I've seen the press release but media stories are "strictly embargoed until 00.01 Wednesday 10 June" so all I can tell you is that today's parliamentary launch will be hosted by Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East and Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health, and other speakers will include:
- Jane Ellison MP, Minister for Public Health
- Peter Kellner, Chair of the report’s Editorial Board and YouGov President
- Deborah Arnott, ASH Chief Executive
- Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK
- Mike Hobday, Director of Policy at British Heart Foundation
Don't expect too many smiles when they convene. Arnott is hardly a ray of sunshine at the best of times. She was in Warsaw at the weekend, attending the Global Forum on Nicotine, and a little bird tells me her mood never lifted from the moment she arrived.
Kumar may be feeling a little bruised today. A Sun investigation, published yesterday, revealed he was paid between £230,000 and £240,000 last year. In my book that's nothing to be ashamed of but people can be funny about charities and salaries. However thick-skinned you are, it's probably not the sort of information you want emblazoned across the front page of Britain's largest selling tabloid newspaper.
As for Kellner, he too took a kicking recently, but if you thought a professional pollster might adopt an impartial position on an important topical issue such as this, prepare to be disappointed. He made his views very clear in 2008 when ASH published 'Beyond Smoking Kills'. I wrote about it under the headline: Peter Kellner, YouGov and ASH.
The biggest question mark however concerns Jane Ellison. What is she thinking?!
It's one thing to listen and observe but I'm amazed a government minister would speak at the launch of what is certain to be a contentious report by a partisan pressure group whose principal purpose is to lobby government.
Actually, I'm not amazed at all. We've come to expect this sort of thing from successive governments and, let's face it, the difference between ASH and the Department of Health is cigarette paper thin. I'm only surprised they don't share an office.
As Ellison herself tweeted a few months ago, Deborah Arnott is effectively part of the furniture. See Minister's "dedicated DH team" includes CEO of ASH.
Coming up … Major new poll released today shows that the public believes anti-smoking laws have gone far enough.
Reader Comments (3)
"In my book that's nothing to be ashamed of"
I'm beginning to wonder about you Simon
Reports in all the papers tomorrow morning:
"Leading charities have called for further action to help smokers to kick the habit. Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and Action on Smoking and Health commissioned the study by researchers, YouGov. Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH said,
"Smoking remains the single biggest preventable cause of death in the UK today and one in two smokers will die from their habit.
" Although the smoking ban has been a huge success in helping millions to quit, we need to do more."
She called on the Government to support further measures which could include banning smoking in outdoor areas.
A Government source said that it supported the right of adults to smoke if they wished but that it would look closely at proposals."
Bucko, I don't have a problem with people earning large salaries in the private sector if that's the going rate and they bring a special skillset to the job.