A toast to libertarians everywhere

I shall be in London tomorrow for the first Liberty League Annual Conference.

Venue is the National Liberal Club which holds a lot of memories for me. Years ago I used to spend a great deal of time there, attending meetings, dinners and so on. Some events I organised myself, using club members to sponsor them. I thought about becoming a member myself but never did.

The club was also the venue when friends gathered to celebrate the life of George Miller-Kurakin who died, aged 54, in October 2009. George was a member and we met there many times when we worked together in the 1980s.

I remember being drawn to a 1915 portrait of Winston Churchill by artist Ernest Townsend (1880-1944). Townsend's Wikipedia entry describes the portrait as "among his notable works", adding:

This picture now hangs in the National Liberal Club in London, but it was not hung until 1944. Churchill had been unavailable to unveil it in 1915, and when he was available, he was no longer popular in the Liberal Club. The portrait was mothballed and retrieved for public viewing only following Churchill's success in 1944, when he was belatedly asked to unveil it.

I discovered later that Townsend was the younger brother of my grandmother's father (which makes him my great great uncle, I think).

Anyway, the Liberty League was founded earlier this year and I was delighted to be asked to speak at their inaugural event, the Freedom Forum, in Birmingham in April.

The Liberty League's primary purpose is "to help inform, recruit and develop supporters of liberty", with particular emphasis on students and recent undergraduates. Its network currently includes student societies in Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Warwick, Leeds, York, Bristol, Exeter – even Oxford and Cambridge.

National groups affiliated to the Liberty League include the Adam Smith Institute, Institute of Economic Affairs, Cobden Centre, Legatum Institute, Big Brother Watch, Liberal Vision, The Freedom Association and The Free Society.

There are three debates tomorrow – one in the morning, two in the afternoon – followed by dinner. The after-dinner speaker is Steve Baker MP, co-founder of the Cobden Centre.

I have been asked to follow him and deliver a suitable toast. In honour of George Miller-Kurakin, I suggested that each guest be given a shot of vodka which I shall invite everyone to knock back (not sip!) in remembrance of a true freedom fighter.

I'll also toast the Liberty League and libertarians everywhere. Well, someone has to.

ASH, the Irish Heart Foundation and Landman Economics

Update on my post about 'Tobacco Taxation, Smuggling Smoking in Ireland', published this week by the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) and widely reported by the Irish media.

British consultancy firm Landman Economics, who wrote the report, have some interesting clients. In addition to the IHF, they include:

• Age UK
• ASH
• Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath
• Health Economics Research Group at Brunel University
• Compass
• Demos
• Fabian Society
• Gingerbread
• Institute for Public Policy Research
• TBR Economics
• TUC
• UNISON
• Unite
• Welsh Assembly Government

Spot a trend, anyone?

Landman's report for the IHF won't come as a surprise to those who recall another Landman paper, commissioned by ASH, entitled The Effects of Increasing Tobacco Taxation: A Cost Benefit and Public Finances Analysis.

More recently (September 2011) ASH commissioned the firm to write an analysis and review of the following paper, 'The impact of plain packaging of cigarettes in the UK: a simulation exercise, a report for Philip Morris International, November 2010', J. Padilla.

No prizes for guessing that Landman's critique didn't agree with Padilla's.

Landman Economics was founded in 2008 by Howard Reed, previously chief economist at the Institute for Public Policy Research (also known as "New Labour's favourite think-tank"). Landman doesn't appear to be in the IPPR's league just yet though because Reed is the only person listed as a member of staff on the company's jejune and somewhat garish website.

They say you can tell a lot about a man from the company he keeps and Reed is no exception. According to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health's Inquiry into the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of tobacco control: Submission to the 2010 Spending Review and Public Health White Paper Consultation process, participants who gave oral and/or written evidence are listed as follows:

Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive, Action on Smoking and Health
Professor Linda Bauld, Professor of Social Policy, University of Bath
Dr Henry Featherstone, Head of Health and Social Care, Policy Exchange
Professor Anna Gilmore, Professor of Public Health, University of Bath
Professor Martin Jarvis, Professor Emeritus of Health Psychology at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London
Professor Susan Michie, Professor of Health Psychology, University College London
Howard Reed, Economist, Landman Economics
Dr Gabriel Scally, Regional Director of Public Health for the South West
Professor Robert West, Director of Tobacco Studies, Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London

Good to see Henry Featherstone, formerly of Policy Exchange, giving evidence to this self-styled "inquiry". You may recall this post from March 2010: ASH and Policy Exchange - the plot thickens.

Meanwhile, like Martin Dockrell of ASH (What do ASH and Left Foot Forward have in common?), Reed has also written for the leading left-wing blog.

Worryingly, he seems to believe that Cutting red tape isn’t a strategy for growth.

I could go on, but you get the picture. Draw your own conclusions.

Update on Friday, October 21, 2011 at 8:29 by Simon Clark

From the European Public Health Alliance website:

The Smoke Free Partnership, with the support of EPHA, organised an event in the European Parliament on February 24th entitled ‘EU Better Regulation : from economic to citizen-centric ?’. It was hosted by Arlene McCarthy MEP (S&D, UK) and saw high attendance from NGOs and also a couple of MEPs.

The speakers were as follows:

Mr John Hontelez, Secretary-General of the European Environment Bureau and member of the Stoiber Group
Ms Monika Kosinska - Secretary-General of the European Public Health Alliance
Mr Heinrich von Wulfen - COCIR President
Dr Anna Gilmore - School of Health, University of Bath
Mr Howard Reed -Director of Landman Economics
Dr Fabian Zuleeg - Senior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre and
Mr Charles Henri-Montin - Expert on Better Regulation

More here.

Dave and the death of democracy

If Scotland can have referendums on devolution and independence, I don't see why the United Kingdom can't have a similar ballot on our relationship with the European Union.

Since the last referendum on Britain's membership of the EEC (as it then was) in 1975, there have been two referendums on Scotland's relationship with the rest of the UK, the first in 1979, the second in 1997. Another referendum, on Scottish independence, has been promised by 2015.

Membership of the EU is far more important to most people in Britain than devolution or an independent Scotland. Is that why the prime minister doesn't trust the people to vote on it?

Frankly, I would expect the pro-EU establishment to win a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU for the same reason that I expect the majority of people in Scotland to reject independence – fear of the unknown or the perceived risks of 'going it alone'. (In Scotland's case I believe those risks are genuine, but if the majority want to take that risk good luck to them.)

The fact that the political establishment is afraid to debate our membership of the EU and then allow people a choice says everything we need to know about the ruling elite in Britain today.

So much for democracy.

PS. The MP behind the motion for a referendum on Britain’s future relationship with the EU is none other than David Nuttall.

David also proposed last year's 10-Minute Rule Bill to amend the smoking ban. He has attended several Forest events in the past year including Stand Up for Liberty! in Manchester on October 4.

Todd, Obama and Henry Jackson

Just been listening to my old friend Todd Buchholz on the Today programme.

A former director of economic policy at the White House, Todd is in London for a few days. Today he is addressing the Henry Jackson Society at a lunchtime meeting at the House of Commons. Subject: Obama's America: Change or Chaos?.

A hugely entertaining speaker (and writer), Todd has that rare ability to make economics sound interesting. Details here.

No laughing matter

From today's Irish Times - Ban has had no effect on smokers.

The smoking ban has not had any appreciable effect on the number of smokers in Ireland, the chief medical officer at the Departmen of Health has said.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Over 1000 pubs have closed and thousands of bar workers have lost their jobs since the smoking ban was introduced in Ireland in 2004.

And for what? Where is the evidence that people are significantly healthier as a result of this mindless piece of political grandstanding?

Meanwhile Forest Eireann's tour of Ireland continues to attract the interest of the local media. Here's the latest report, from the Galway Independent:

Butt out

I couldn't have put it better myself.

John Mallon will be writing about the tour when he returns home. Last night, in Galway, he met publican and hotelier Ronan Lawless who is a registered supporter of Forest Eireann.

The name may not mean much to you but in 2004 Ronan was the co-owner of a pub, Fibber Magee's, that attracted worldwide publicity when the proprietors challenged the ban and allowed customers to smoke in one of two bars.

(See Irish pub defies anti-smoking law and Irish pub ends smoking rebellion.)

The upshot? Fines totalling 22,000 euros. (The last we heard he was selling up and moving to Florida.)

Ronan now owns the Forster Court Hotel in Galway city centre. Can't wait to hear what he had to say.

PS. On Friday John and I spent a pleasant half hour in a pub in Kilkenny talking to the owner who applauded the ban, saying it had helped him give up smoking.

Without warning (and without irony) he then castigated successive governments and claimed that Ireland had become a "totalitarian" country.

We couldn't persuade him to support our campaign but we got on so well he wouldn't let us pay for our drinks.

That's Ireland for you.

Picture this

I have been 'tagged' on Facebook where this picture has just been posted.

It was taken at The Freedom Association dinner at the Museum of Science and Industry during the Conservative party conference in Manchester.

From left to right: Daniel Pycock (University of St Andrews Liberty Club), Angela Harbutt (Liberal Vision), Mark Littlewood (Institute of Economic Affairs), John King (TFA, standing), me, Chris Snowdon (Velvet Glove Iron Fist), Jacqui Delbaere (Forest) and former Daily Telegraph leader writer Alex Singleton.

H/T Stephanie Lis

Is this the best smoking room in the world?

Just back from Ireland.

On Friday, in Kilkenny, John Mallon and I stumbled upon what I can only describe as the best smoking room I have ever seen.

I can't even begin to do justice to this temple to tobacco so here's what the pub itself has to say on its impressive website:

One noted industry professional recently said “I have seen the future of the pub trade and its name is The Tobacco Shop at Matt’s”. Smoking areas have become an integral part of the social fabric prevalent in Irish Pubs and cognisant of this the team at Matt’s have recently added 'The Tobacco Shop' to cater for this very important need. You can now enjoy a smoke in comfort and have a drink, a coffee or a bite to eat in style without getting pneumonia or being left out in the cold! The Tobacco Shop is serviced by its own full service bar, is fully furnished and is perfect no matter what the weather may bring. You really do have to see it to believe it.

The room is up three flights of stairs and overlooks the river. You enter via a non-smoking bar on same floor so although it was built as an extension it feels part of the original building, which has yet another bar on the ground floor.

On Friday afternoon the smoking room was cool yet comfortable with not a whiff of tobacco, stale or otherwise, until John lit up. (Even then it was barely noticeable.) By comparison, the rest of the pub seemed rather stuffy.

Outside it was raining but inside The Tobacco Shop the weather wasn't a problem because – according to a member of staff – the velux windows shut automatically when it rains.

Smoking rooms come in all shapes and sizes in Ireland and initiatives like this give smokers a place where they can eat, drink and smoke in comfort without inconveniencing a single non-smoker. (Bar staff, we were led to believe, can choose whether they wish to work in there.)

The Tobacco Shop shames everyone who supports the vindictive, illiberal regulations in Britain. Somehow we have to convince politicians and pubcos that facilities like this represent the future of the hospitality industry, not the past.

Update: One or two of you are asking 'How is this allowed?'. We asked the same question and although a direct answer wasn't forthcoming, we were assured, by a member of staff, that planning permission had been granted.

The difference, I suspect, is down to interpretation of the regulations (which may be less restrictive in Ireland) plus a willingness, on the part of some authorities in Ireland, to adopt a more attitude towards smoking rooms and their patrons.

Last year, as it happens, I wrote a post (Postcard from Ireland) that included a comment that in hindsight seems rather prescient:

Interestingly, it does seem that the authorities are enforcing the law less rigorously than when [the smoking ban] was first introduced in 2004, and people are finding ways round it.

At the very least Britain should follow Ireland's example. Sadly, British bureaucrats are notorious sticklers for rules and regulations so a formal amendment to the legislation remains our preferred choice.

Update on Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 16:34 by Simon Clark

John Mallon's tour of Ireland has started rather well.

Further to my earlier post, John been interviewed by radio stations in Waterford and Kilkenny. The tour has also been reported by the Cork Independent and the (Cork) Evening Echo. (The Echo's headline was 'John to set nation alight with tour to protect smokers' rights'.)

Ahead of John's visit to Galway on Wednesday, Galway FM ran the following report:

A pro-smokers organisation is coming to Galway next week to drum up support for smokers rights.

Forest Eireann is calling on the Government to relax the smoking ban, cut tobacco duty to tackle smuggling and respect the rights of adults who decide to smoke.

The group is supported by the British smokers' group Forest and receives donations from tobacco companies in Britain and Ireland.

Forest Eireann supporters are coming to Galway on Wednesday week October 19th to distribute their manifesto around the city centre.

Spokesperson John Mallon says the anti-smoking movement has gone too far.

Tomorrow John is in Tralee where he will be on Kerry FM at 9.30am. Then it's on to Limerick, Galway, Ballyhaunis and Donegal.

Unfortunately the tour ends in Dublin on October 26, the day before the Irish presidential election, so national coverage will be hard to come by.

If we enjoy any success I may pop over again to celebrate. In the meantime ... watch this space.

Forest Eireann's tour de force

Currently in Waterford, the oldest city in Ireland.

Arrived yesterday via the Fishguard-Rosslare ferry. The last time I took this route passengers were left feeling distinctly queasy. On a bad day it can be very choppy. Thankfully the sun was shining and yesterday's conditions were described as "moderate".

We arrived in Rosslare at 6.00pm. I then drove to Waterford to meet my colleague John Mallon, spokesman for Forest Eireann.

On Wednesday John began a two-week tour that will take him from his home town of Cork to Dublin via Waterford, Kilkenny, Tralee (Co Kerry), Limerick, Galway, Ballyhaunis (Co Mayo) and Letterkenny (Co Donegal).

The aim is to raise Forest Eireann's profile by promoting our 'Smokers' Manifesto' which calls for greater tolerance towards adults who choose to smoke a legal product.

Yesterday the Cork Independent ran an article headlined Voice of the smoker not being heard, claims Forest Eireann. That in turn has led to a national TV station requesting an interview with John when the tour concludes in Dublin on October 26.

To date we have also arranged interviews with five local radio stations with more to come.

As I write John has just left for Kilkenny where he is being interviewed by KCLR96FM. I will join him later and we will spend the rest of the day in the town's pubs and bars, "listening" to publicans and their customers.

Based on the first two days John will have enough stories to fill a small book. I'll keep you posted. Keep an eye too on the Forest Eireann blog where John will update readers on his progress.

See also: Smokers' champion takes to the road