Why I am cautiously optimistic about the new Secretary of State for Health

On Saturday I wrote:

It’s being reported that Thérèse Coffey, a close friend of [Liz] Truss, could be appointed Secretary of State for Health.

… the prospect of a ‘cigar-smoking, karaoke-singing’ health secretary is amusing, if not intriguing.

I went on to note that:

… in July 2010 Coffey signed an Early Day Motion calling for a review of the smoking ban and a few months later voted for the ban to be amended to allow for designated smoking rooms in pubs and clubs.

Like Truss she also opposed plain packaging of tobacco.

A decade on I wouldn’t expect her to review either of those policies but it offers hope, should Coffey be sent to the Department of Health, that we might have someone in office who is prepared to tackle the big issues - the state of the National Health Service, for example - rather than devoting time and energy to persecuting adults who choose to smoke a legal product.

Last night Coffey was indeed appointed Secretary of State for Health (and deputy prime minister), prompting this response from journalist and broadcaster Benjamin Butterworth:

The tweet has now been deleted but not before Conservative peer Lord Moylan responded with a tweet of his own:

Fingers crossed Coffey will be more Cavalier than Roundhead but it’s worth noting this comment, when she was deputy leader of the House of Commons, to a backbencher in March 2016:

“… high duty rates are a proven way of reducing the prevalence of smoking and help to meet the objectives of protecting public health.” (March 24, 2016)

She also referred to “the importance of trying to reduce smoking in our population”.

These however are fairly standard platitudes for anyone in government so the jury must remain out until we see some actual policies.

But given Coffey’s voting record on plain packaging and the smoking ban I am cautiously optimistic that she will focus less on micro-managing people’s lives and more on the big issues - reducing NHS waiting times, more hospital beds, improving patient treatment outcomes etc etc.

Politicians frequently disappoint but, fingers crossed, this one won’t.

PS. Lord Moylan is a panellist at a Forest fringe event at the Conservative conference in Birmingham next month. Further details in due course.

Update: 'I'm not a role model': Therese Coffey questioned over smoking and weight as health secretary (Telegraph)

Comments

[Rose2]

I love and miss the scent of cigars, it reminds me of much happier times.

Good to hear that the new Secretary of State for Health has withstood the barrage of the Puritans and is able to think for herself.

[Pat Nurse]

Fingers crossed but I am not hopeful. Smokers are easy targets for politicians to virtue signal and show they are capable of making policies while using it as a smoke screen to hide the fact that they cannot do anything about real issues of concern - and let's not forget that politically lobby Group ASH seems to run the DoH.

I'm also bearing in mind the glee Coffey showed when she had the chance to personally report a smoker to police for dropping a cig end. I fear the public hate campaign will continue because that's trendy and will win them friends on right and left.

Watch her announce soon that she is quitting cigars 🙄