David Nuttall MP on the vote he lost on Wednesday last week to bring the smoking ban to a vote.
I don't buy altogether his comments about Toryism at the end. The smoking ban has so many deleterious effects on the population that it is hard to see how any political party can stomach it.
The whole process of denormalising smoking is an effort to make smoking history. (They didn't succeed in making poverty history either: a far more worthwhile aim but one impossible to achieve given the asymmetric economic relations that characterise international capitalism.)
History is written by winners and smoking history is currently being written by anti-smokers: the people who make laws on the basis of meaningless statistical babbling and strong smells. At last, in Westminster, David Nuttall MP is writing the other side of the story. He is a party man but in essence he is right, an important promise was broken and localism no longer works (nor does liberty or international brotherhood, if you go for one of the other parties).
He has promised not to let us down, so let's do what we can to support his stance on the ban. As legislation it's not wanted, needed or acceptable.
What a shame no one in the corridors of power in Scotland has done this yet.
Showing posts with label David Nuttall MP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Nuttall MP. Show all posts
Monday, 18 October 2010
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Barron defeats Nuttall without cowing Binley
I'm away from home this week, hence the sketchy blogging. However since I'm in holiday mode I can rely on another blogger to pad this post out a bit. Also I am in England so once again resorting to a story about the smoking ban south of the border.
This one.
The blog post, Dick Puddlecote's, is here.
David Nuttall MP's Bill was brought in under the ten-minute rule, which allows ten minutes on each side of the debate. The debate is normally a backbench affair but on this occasion the opposing speech was given by Kevin Barron, formerly of the All-Party Committee on Smoking and Health, whose secretariat is managed by none other than Action on Smoking and Health. Kevin Barron's speech is here (preceded by David Nuttall's speech), and includes some spectacular nonsense: heart attack drops (inaccurately quoted as 5 per cent in England, which found a drop in heart attacks of 2.4 per cent, a lower drop that still failed to show up in routine statistics), and the idea that 80 per cent of smokers approve of the smoking ban.
In a further post, Dick quotes Barron saying: 'we are the state's representatives in their constituencies', suggesting that he has completely inverted the whole power relationship that underpins democracies. 'We should not be frightened of taking decisions on behalf of our constituents because that is to the general good.'
Happily Brian Binley, another MP seeking change in the smoking ban, is determined to keep up the pressure, alongside many others.
It seems that some people in government think that all they have to do is to identify a health issue, and they can vote in anything they like – for the common good, of course.
This one.
The blog post, Dick Puddlecote's, is here.
David Nuttall MP's Bill was brought in under the ten-minute rule, which allows ten minutes on each side of the debate. The debate is normally a backbench affair but on this occasion the opposing speech was given by Kevin Barron, formerly of the All-Party Committee on Smoking and Health, whose secretariat is managed by none other than Action on Smoking and Health. Kevin Barron's speech is here (preceded by David Nuttall's speech), and includes some spectacular nonsense: heart attack drops (inaccurately quoted as 5 per cent in England, which found a drop in heart attacks of 2.4 per cent, a lower drop that still failed to show up in routine statistics), and the idea that 80 per cent of smokers approve of the smoking ban.
In a further post, Dick quotes Barron saying: 'we are the state's representatives in their constituencies', suggesting that he has completely inverted the whole power relationship that underpins democracies. 'We should not be frightened of taking decisions on behalf of our constituents because that is to the general good.'
Happily Brian Binley, another MP seeking change in the smoking ban, is determined to keep up the pressure, alongside many others.
It seems that some people in government think that all they have to do is to identify a health issue, and they can vote in anything they like – for the common good, of course.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Freedom2Choose meeting in Northampton hoped to be the first of many
This meeting of the UK organisation Freedom2Choose with pub trade representatives and two MPs is reported here. One of the MPs refers to a ten minute motion due to be lodged at Westminster on 13 October: details here.
Please take every opportunity to open a dialogue with your MP on this subject and make him/her understand that there is a genuine case for a relaxation of the smoking ban.
Ten minute Rule Motion: Mr David Nuttall: Public Houses and Private Members’ Clubs (Smoking): That leave be given to bring in a Bill to exempt public houses and private members’ clubs from the requirements of Part 1 of the Health Act 2006 relating to smoke-free premises; and for connected purposes.This is the first opportunity since the Bill was passed in February 2006 to bring pressure on MPs. Readers in Scotland will have their own feelings about whether lobbying their MPs on this subject is ethical! But remember that the lobby groups working to maintain the ban will be hard at work throughout the UK. Your MP still represents your interests and is accountable to you, wherever you live.
Please take every opportunity to open a dialogue with your MP on this subject and make him/her understand that there is a genuine case for a relaxation of the smoking ban.
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