David Davis supports smoke ban review

Former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis has become the latest MP to sign the Early Day Motion calling for a review of the smoking ban. EDM 406, which was tabled earlier this month by Conservative MP Brian Binley, now has the support of 26 MPs.

Mountain to climb

An old school friend has sent me pictures of his successful ascent of the Eiger last week - or what he modestly describes as "a long 14-hour day".

Three weeks ago we were knocking back a bottle of red wine HERE plus several pints of Cobra and a curry HERE.

So if he can do it ... No, you're right, I'd probably die in the attempt.

Government warning: do not do this without months of training and professional supervision. Climbing one of Europe's most fearsome mountains could seriously damage your health.

H/T Bill Roberts, photos courtesy Miles Bright

A step in the right direction

There's a story in today's Sunday Times that is so uplifting, if true, that I can hardly believe it.

"Thousands of speed cameras," we are led to believe, "are about to disappear across England and Wales ... The first county likely to abandon the devises is Oxfordshire, which could switch off its 79 fixed cameras as early as next weekend. Other counties are preparing to follow suit."

I have written about speed cameras and how their ubiquity really does diminish the quality of my life, especially those confounded average speed cameras that are popping up with increasing frequency.

I accept, as the RAC man says in today's report, that they have a role to play in some accident black spots, but under the previous government the situation was getting out of hand (although I appreciate that these decisions are usually made at local level).

Last week I was speaking to a friend who was driving along the M40 at the time and all I could hear in the background was a series of high pitched bleeps as his sat nav alerted him to the fact that he was approaching yet another speed camera.

Someone commented on another thread that it really does feel as if we're living under a more liberal regime, and what a marvellous feeling that would be.

I say "would" because actions speak louder than words and Nick Clegg's refusal to even countenance an amendment to the smoking ban means that people like me remain sceptical of this Government's intentions.

Nevertheless, if this story is true (the devil is in the detail), then it's a step in the right direction and I'll be the first to say "Bravo!".

Below: we used this image in Forest's Fight The Ban: Fight For Choice campaign which was launched in May 2004. The headline was: 'Smokers - your local could be next'.

Not many people understood it. The point we were trying to make, prior to the smoking ban, was that smoking in a pub could soon be like driving - highly regulated with no shortage of prying eyes (the smoke police) trying to catch you out.

Well, I liked it.

Update on Sunday, July 25, 2010 by Simon Clark

Iain Dale has this to say: Ending the war on the motorist

Coming soon ...

The reason for my recent visit to Ireland will be revealed shortly. In the meantime ... watch this space.

Introducing ... FireBug

Juliette Tworsey, a musician based in LA, has been in touch to say that her band FireBug will be playing in the UK next week. Three gigs, two in London, one in Swindon, will be followed by an appearance at the Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth on Sunday August 1. (See tour dates HERE.)

A member of Forces, the American smokers' rights group, Juliette is keen to meet Brits who support freedom of choice.

You can contact Juliette via Facebook. She also has a blog, Jredheadgirl. Or you can just turn up at one of FireBug's gigs.

That MA interview in full

This week's Morning Advertiser features not only a four-page advertorial for the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign. There's also a three-and-a-half page editorial feature, much of it devoted to an interview I gave the magazine a month or so ago.

To download the full interview click HERE. To download the four-page wrap, which includes two pages of campaign news, click HERE.

The MA feature includes comments from John Madden, executive officer, Guild of Master Victuallers ("If this Government wants to help our industry, allowing smoking rooms is a way to do it"); Martin Caffrey, operations director, Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations ("We will look at anything that will help our members' trade and we would certainly actively campaign for smoking rooms"), and Mark Hastings, director of communications, British Beer and Pub Association ("We do not want to see a return to smoking in pubs. It would be a backward and unwelcome step.").

Worth reading, if I say so myself, if only for the line, "Clarke (sic) has the air of a man who's trudged a lonely road over the past three years". And I thought I was rather upbeat!!

More on smoking around children

I'm on Radio Scotland this morning discussing smoking around children with presenter Kaye Adams who has never hidden her dislike of people smoking around her.

In the wake of yesterday's Billie Piper story it was interesting to read some of the comments on the Guardian website. Click HERE.

Update on Friday, July 23, 2010 by Simon Clark

My comments have been posted on the MadeForMums forum - see:
Smoker mum Billie Piper denies bad parenting.

Not so secret garden

Surprised to find the train from London teeming with people in their twenties wearing sandals, wellies and flip-flops. I was even more surprised when they got off at my station and I had to navigate my way past scores of rucksacks and other paraphernalia.

If you've never heard of the Secret Garden Party you're not alone. I hadn't heard of it either, despite the fact that this four-day festival is taking place a short distance from where I live.

I've just checked out the website and this is what it has to say:

The Secret Garden Party is a temporary community that is as free, irreverent, friendly and engaging as it is possible to be ... The Secret Garden Party brings people together by removing all barriers – you will do things you never thought you had the nerve or bombast to do. We set a few rules and ask you to respect them. Then we ask you to let go and do as you wish.

PS. A friend has just emailed to say that she's going!! She also sent me a report, published today, entitled Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England 2009.

I'll have a look at it and get back to you.

Image H/T Secret Garden Party gallery

Campaign news for licensees

The Morning Advertiser, the pub trade magazine, this week features a four-page wrap promoting the Save Our Pubs and Clubs campaign. On the inside front and back covers are two pages of campaign news. On pages 40-43 you'll find a three and a half page feature about the campaign. The MA has a circulation of 31,000. We also have 1,000 copies to send to MPs, journalists and broadcasters. Click HERE to see the impressive digital edition.

The actress, her child, and a wisp of smoke

The Daily Mirror has asked me to comment on a "story" that a well-known actress has been photographed smoking outside a pub (I think it was a pub, it was certainly outside) with her child in close proximity. A wisp of smoke was caught drifting into the child's airspace and, well, you can guess the rest.

The Mirror asked me for 250 words so I gave them 254 which I will share with you in the morning. ASH have been asked to comment too.

Update on Thursday, July 22, 2010 by Simon Clark

You can read my response in the Mirror HERE. Having asked for 250 words (which they told me would be edited to 200), the paper used ... 105. Interestingly, they changed the phrase "err on the side of courtesy" (an expression I first heard on Taking Liberties courtesy Rose Whiteley) to "err of the side of caution". It's obviously not a phrase they've come across before. We'll just have to keep repeating it until people get it.

Display ban: how ASH misled MPs

Currently at the House of Commons attending the launch of The Dark Market: How ASH and the Department of Health misled MPs about the tobacco display ban, a report by author and journalist Chris Snowdon. More to follow.

Update on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 by Simon Clark

Chris has published a summary of his report on his own blog HERE and you can download the full document HERE.

Ireland: how stupid is that?

The Irish tobacco control lobby has launched a new campaign aimed at discouraging young people from smoking. It's called - wait for it - Teens Are Stupid, it features a fictional character called Corporate Tobacco Man, and it's as subtle as a flying brick.

Full story HERE.

Your freedom, his choice - part two

I can't be alone in being cynical about the Government's Your Freedom website which, in my eyes, is a re-branding of the previous Government's e-petition website and equally useless apart from allowing people to let off steam.

Then again, it has allowed a lot of people to express their feelings about the smoking ban and that is undoubtedly helping to keep the issue alive politically, so perhaps I should be a bit more positive.

Anyway, hats off to my old friend NHS anaesthetist Dr Phil Button who has posted a Personal Message to Nick Clegg in response to the deputy PM's dismissive attitude to all those people who have called for amendments to the smoking ban - a response I previously described as Your Freedom, His Choice.

Phil writes:

There are several suggestions put forward asking you to consider amending the smoking ban. They have provoked many comments and much interest. Despite this I hear you are in danger of ignoring widespread public opinion on this matter. You will be seen to prefer listening to vested interests and bigoted self interest groups. In doing so the Your Freedom initiative will be exposed to ridicule and as a thinly disguised sham, created to convince you that you have some sort of influence as a minority segment of a Conservative government.

Conversely if you listen to the outcry you will see that the courageous action, the common sense stand and one that carries massive public support, is to control the influence of unrepresentative and unscientific self interest groups. The amendment of the smoking ban to allow smoking in ventilated, segregated areas in hospitality venues where the owner chooses is an idea for Our Freedom that does not merely encompass but engulfs the three aims stated within your initiative.

Let's give the Your Freedom initiative the benefit of the doubt (although I still think a letter posted to Nick Clegg's office is more likely to attract his attention, especially if you request a reply).

Phil Button has articulated what many of us are thinking so click HERE and add a comment.

See: Dr Phil Button - The "Lost" Interview

Update on Monday, July 19, 2010 by Simon Clark

I notice that the idea 'Ban' smoking ban in pubs, give the landlord/landlady the choice, currently rates fourth in terms of the number of comments (327 to date).

I suggest that you comment on this idea so that it remains high on the list. At the same time make sure that you rate it so that it also appears in the list of highest rated ideas. At present it rates three (out of five) stars.

Eye spy Lembit

I was going to mention that Lembit Opik was at the Forest party on Wednesday - but someone got there first (see above from Eye Spy MP on Twitter).

The following day a second tweet appeared:

Charming.

Forest at the Conservative party conference

Monday October 4, 6.00-8.30pm. Save The Great British Pub: Your Freedom Your Choice. The Malt House, King Edwards Road, Birmingham, close to the International Conference Centre. We're outside the secure area so anyone can attend.

Note: the advertisement above will appear in the official conference brochure.

H/T Dan Donovan