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.

Smoking ban news north and south of the border

Scotland
And again 
England
And again
And again
And again

The failure of David Nuttall's bill that would have allowed licensees the choice of letting customers smoke to get even a hearing is disappointing, if not entirely unexpected. Surely the Scottish media will give it more coverage than this?

Did any Scottish MPs actually vote today? Devolution does complicate politics! These people are still accountable to those who voted for them, are they not? ... even if the final result doesn't have any immediate bearing on their lives.

David Nuttall talks about his Bill to amend smoking ban

Link here to the blog of David Nuttall, whose Bill to amend the smoking ban will be heard tomorrow at Westminster.

The Licensees' View: Freedom2Choose survey supports Private Members' Bill to address smoking ban

I'll make this short. The Freedom2Choose survey of 570 licensees in England shows overwhelming approval for changes in the law. This has reached the trade press here and here. The survey, based on interviews with licensees, shows that they catered in the main for a clientèle including at least as many smokers as non-smokers, and many had enough rooms on their premises to cater for both groups separately if needed.

Justice for Licensees, which has focussed its campaign on the beer tie, has issued a press release (reproduced here by Phil Johnson, Chairman of Freedom2Choose) lending support to the Early Day Motion (EDM 406). Its leader Inez Ward is also interviewed in the Morning Advertiser, urging her members to ask their MPs to support the call for a review to the smoking ban. Another ten-minute rule motion on reviewing the smoking ban is to be heard on Wednesday 13 October, lodged by David Nuttall MP: reported here (includes a poll which currently shows 83 per cent in favour of publicans choosing whether to cater for smokers).

I can only follow Inez and Phil and encourage you to urge your MP to support the demand for a review of this ill conceived legislation.

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.

 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.