Hemming: British culture "being eroded"

From today's Sunday Express:

Fresh from reducing Ryan Giggs’s injunction to a pile of ashes, Lib Dem MP John Hemming is lending his support to another campaign calling for urgent changes to the smoking ban.

He is joining Tory Greg Knight and Labour’s Roger Godsiff in demanding the Government amend the ban to allow struggling pubs and clubs to offer “well-ventilated rooms” for smokers.

The campaign believes it unfair that smokers are forced to stand or sit outside and that our laws are draconian compared with the rest of Europe. The pub industry claims the ban has had a “devastating” impact on trade and flies in the face of the Coalition’s philosophy to allow individuals to make their own choices.

Anti-secrecy crusader Mr Hemming, who fancies himself as a possible party leader and who will help host a reception for the Save Our Pubs And Clubs campaign in Parliament next month, said: “British culture is being eroded at the moment.”

See: Giggs's nemesis fumes over ban.

Voices of Freedom 2011

Our 2011 Voices of Freedom series starts on Wednesday.

The first discussion, 'Civil Liberties: Up In Smoke', will ask the question "What are smokers' rights in a free society?". Chairman is Mark Littlewood, director-general of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), and speakers include Alex Deane (formerly Big Brother Watch), Peter Hitchens (Mail on Sunday) and Oscar-winning screenwriter Sir Ronald Harwood, an unshamed smoker and a member of Forest's Supporters Council.

Venue is the IEA, 2 Lord North Street, Westminster. Drinks will be served from 6.15pm and the discussion starts at 7.00.

The first debate coincides with the publication of a report by Simon Davies of Privacy International, with a foreword by Joe Jackson, that is also called 'Civil Liberties: Up In Smoke'. I have a copy in front of me and it looks rather good, as it should. It was designed by Forest's own Dan Donovan. Copies will be available on the night.

The Voices of Freedom series is organised by The Free Society in conjunction with The Manifesto Club, Democracy Institute, Adam Smith Institute, Liberty League, Forest and The Freedom Association who will all be represented at one time or another.

The 2011 programme will also feature participants from the TaxPayers Alliance, Demos, Institute of Ideas, Liberal Vision, Progressive Vision, Academics for Academic Freedom and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

And Toby Young.

Click here to download the full Voices of Freedom programme. For latest news on speakers visit The Free Society.

To register for any of the events (including the Smoke On The Water boat party on Wednesday July 13) email events@thefreesociety.org telephone Nicky Shepherd on 01223 370091.

Health is the new religion

Abomination, abhorrent, despicable.

Just been on The Stephen Nolan Show (BBC Radio Ulster) and those are just three of the words used by callers to describe smoking in the open air.

Funnily enough, when I hear those words in a Presbyterian accent I automatically think of the Rev Ian Paisley.

Well, they say that health is the new religion.

Update on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 10:49 by Simon Clark

Last week, writing for The Free Society, Chris Snowdon described Australia as "the world's number one nanny state".

Hot off the press from (where else?) Australia is this little gem:

Simon Chapman, professor of public health at the University of Sydney, suggests that after plain packaging, the government consider introducing a licensing scheme for smokers, under which current smokers would have to buy a swipe license card; anyone turning 18 and wanting to smoke would be required to take a detailed knowledge test, just like a driving license knowledge test; and manufacturers would be prevented from supplying cigarettes to retailers that do not have facilities to process licensed sales.

See: Don't ban tobacco, license it (Brisbane Times)

PS. Chris Snowdon's article about Australia (above) is published today on Spiked.

Best smoking area? No thanks!

Our search for the pub with the best smoking area has suffered a setback.

Following an appeal to friends of Forest, supporters of the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign, and readers of this blog, we received an encouraging number of nominations and some warm comments.

The next step was to write to the landlords, inviting them to complete and return the official nomination form, which they had to sign.

So far so good. Unfortunately very few recipients returned the form by the closing date, so this week, with the deadline extended to May 27, I asked a colleague to chase them up.

Some licensees responded positively but several said they didn't want to receive an award for Best Smoking Area. One landlord – a belligerent Australian – went even further.

"Best Smoking Area?" he raged. "I'm bigger than that." Pause. "You get me?"

A favor de Philip Morris

Spoke to an Argentinian journalist who rang Forest from South America last night.

Uruguayan has introduced some of the toughest tobacco control measures in the world including graphic health warnings that cover 80 per cent of a cigarette pack,front and back. In response Philip Morris is suing the government for lost revenue.

"El tabaco es un producto legal y la gente debería poder fumar sin ser hostigada," I told her. "La gente que fuma ya sabe que es potencialmente dañino para su salud, pero este tipo de iniciativas fomentan la discriminación contra los fumadores."

Well, that's how it was translated.

See: Por qué Philip Morris considera a Uruguay una amenaza? (BBC World)

Update on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 18:26 by Simon Clark

The Buenos Aires Herald has an interesting take on this:

One of the world’s biggest tobacco companies is launching a claim against Uruguay for considering their legislation commercially damaging to the company.

One of the smallest Latin America’s countries faces a multi million corporation, based in Switzerland, in Parisian courts this week.

David and Goliath, eh? I know who I'm rooting for.

Full story: Philip Morris sues Uruguay over anti tobacco legislation

Smoke ban reception update

Reaction to the Save Our Pubs & Clubs reception at the House of Commons, announced yesterday:

The Morning Advertiser has the story here: Pubs invited to smoke-ban event.

See also: Save Our Pubs & Clubs plans Commons reception as it lobbies for ‘smoking rooms’ (Public Affairs News) and Campaigners lobby MPs to change smoking ban‎ (Harpers Wine & Spirit Trades Review).

Thanks to londonmum for posting the announcement on The Sun discussion forum: Save Our Pubs & Clubs - smokers alert!!

Ditto Angela Harbutt for posting on Liberal Vision: Save Our Pubs & Clubs – join us in Westminster on June 29

Please let me know of any other reports or links. Events such as this need to develop momentum so if there are any other bloggers reading this we'd appreciate a plug!

PS. To Frank Davis who commented, on our Facebook page, "Thanks for the invitation. I don't think I need to lobby my latest MP. He's one of the few who voted against the ban", I couldn't disagree more.

We have to keep lobbying those who are onside in order to maintain their support. If MPs don't hear from constituents on this issue they will think it no longer matters or that public support for the ban is almost universal.

As any political campaigner will tell you, never take the core vote for granted. Get your supporters out, then target the swing voters.

Update on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 12:20 by Simon Clark

"Wouldn't miss it," writes Dr Eamonn Butler, co-founder and director of the Adam Smith Institute, Britain's leading free-market think tank.

Also pledging to attend are Simon Richards, director of The Freedom Association; Annabelle Fuller, co-founder of Rally Against Debt; journalist and campaigner Jon Gaunt; and our old friend, Jonathan Isaby, co-editor of ConservativeHome; and former pub landlord Nick Hogan.

More to come, I'm sure.

If you'd like to join us, you MUST register in advance. Email info@amendthesmokingban.com or telephone 01223 370156.

Here's Simon with the travel ...

Should have been in Edinburgh today.

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association has invited representatives from the European hospitality sector to advise them on how the smoking ban could be changed to accommodate smokers and protect jobs "without exposing staff or non-smoking customers to tobacco smoke".

The seminar, I am told, will comprise leading members of the SLTA and licensees from the Netherlands, Croatia and Hungary who have practical experience of systems that can control tobacco smoke without resorting to a comprehensive ban.

Sounds good, so I was going as an observer. Unfortunately all flights in and out of Scotland have been cancelled until two o'clock this afternoon because of the alleged threat of volcanic ash. (Thank you, Iceland!)

Trains, meanwhile, have been hit by yesterday's storms in Scotland and the north of England. I did think about driving, but a 14-hour round-trip for a two-hour meeting?

All is not lost, though, because a colleague has made it Edinburgh (from London). It wasn't easy, though. X reports that she caught the last BA flight out of Heathrow last night but it had to land at Glasgow.

Passengers were then driven by coach to Edinburgh and she arrived at her hotel at 2.30am.

Some people will do anything to discuss the smoking ban!

See: SLTA to hold talks on smoking ban (Evening Times)

Update on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 16:47 by Simon Clark

Pub bosses to hold talks on relaxing smoking ban (STV)
Pub chiefs send smoke signals to government (Evening Times)

Save Our Pubs & Clubs - join us in Westminster on June 29

The fight to amend the smoking ban is going to the heart of Westminster.

On Wednesday June 29, two days before the fourth anniversary of the smoking ban in England, we want supporters of the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign to join us at the Houses of Parliament.

Supporters are invited to attend a special reception hosted by The Rt Hon Greg Knight MP (Conservative), Roger Godsiff MP (Labour) and John Hemming MP (Liberal Democrat).

Location: Terrace Pavilion, House of Commons.
Time: 4.00-6.00pm

In advance of the event you will be asked to contact your local MP so you can arrange to meet them at the reception to discuss the smoking ban and related issues.

The aim of the event is to highlight the impact of the ban and demonstrate the strength of feeling that still exists in many quarters.

This is rare opportunity to lobby your MP in the presence of other like-minded people. We need as many people as possible to take part so please support this initiative and encourage others to do so too.

To attend the reception you MUST register in advance.

Telephone Nicky Shepherd on 01223 370156 or email your full name and address to info@amendthesmokingban.com and we will send you a formal invitation.

For further information visit the Save Our Pubs & Clubs website.

See also: Members of parliament unite to amend smoking ban (Forest)

PS: if you have a blog or website and want to promote the event, feel free to add the 'Lobby Your MP' logo (above) to the sidebar with a link to this page.