Mark Littlewood: voice of freedom

Mark Littlewood, Institute of Economic Affairs:

"The emergence of a Conservative-Liberal coalition government might now provide the opportunity for a politics based around individual freedom and responsibility, rather than government diktat. The new Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister use the language of liberty, but will they have the guts and determination to put actually big government into reverse gear? The case for freedom was often ignored by the previous administration, this series of debates is an important contribution to ensuring that the new government listens rather more closely."

Mark will be chairing two debates in The Free Society's Voices of Freedom: The Battle Against Big Government series of debates in June. For more information click HERE.

Strictly RSVP - email events@forestonline.org or telephone 01223 370156.

Update on Thursday, May 20, 2010 by Simon Clark

The Devil's Knife (formerly Devil's Kitchen) has blogged about Voices of Freedom HERE.

Smoking ban: petition the deputy PM

Further to the Deputy PM's speech yesterday, blogger Dick Puddlecote has created a Facebook group called "Nick Clegg: Include an Amendment to the Smoking Ban in the Repeal Bill".

The problem with Facebook and the Internet generally is that it's like the Wild West and very soon there could be dozens of groups - each one with a handful of supporters - saying pretty much the same thing.

Nevertheless I like the look of DP's group. The message is simple:

On May 19th, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced what has been dubbed 'The Great Repeal Bill' with this promise: "And as we tear through the statute book, we'll do something no government ever has: we will ask you which laws you think should go."

An amendment to the unnecessarily spiteful nature of the smoking ban has been provisionally tabled as part of this bill.

We believe that an amendment which allows an element of choice for the UK's 12 million smokers is not only fair to grant, but also grossly unfair to deny if we are to profess to living in a free and civil country.

Our aims are very moderate. We have no desire to inflict our smoke on people who do not desire it and ask that private members clubs, pubs, and restaurants that derive a significant proportion of their income from cigars, be allowed to allocate a separate, well ventilated room for patrons who wish to smoke.

The UK and Ireland are the ONLY countries in the EU to have treated smokers in such a spiteful manner. All others have implemented workable solutions which respect both smokers and non-smokers alike.

Over 5,000 pubs, clubs and bingo halls have closed, and 100,000 have been made unemployed by this vindictive law. Much of this damage could have been easily avoided by providing accommodation for smokers where those who are sensitive to smoke wouldn't be remotely affected.

As part of the Great Repeal Bill, we ask that the relevant clause in the Health Act 2006 be amended to afford a social environment which is acceptable to all.

To join DP's Facebook group click HERE.

Update on Thursday, May 20, 2010 by Simon Clark

If you haven't already done so, please join the Save Our Pubs and Clubs: Amend The Smoking Ban campaign by registering your support HERE. You can also join the Save Our Pubs and Clubs Facebook group HERE.

Update on Thursday, May 20, 2010 by Simon Clark

There are a lot of posts about repealing/amending the smoking ban on the Telegraph website here: Nick Clegg: tell us the laws that you want scrapped. Keep them coming.

Voices of freedom - join the debate!

I am delighted to announce the launch of an exciting new programme of events. In association with the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), the Adam Smith Institute, Big Brother Watch, The Manifesto Club and Liberal Vision, The Free Society - a campaign launched by Forest in 2008 - is hosting a series of debates entitled Voices of Freedom: The Battle Against Big Government.

Subjects include Economic Freedom in Welfare, Big Government is Watching You, Can a Big Society be a Free Society?, Hyper-Regulation and the Bully State; and Who Holds the Liberal Torch in 2010?.

The debates - chaired by Iain Dale (Total Politics), Claire Fox (Institute of Ideas), James Panton (Manifesto Club) and Mark Littlewood (IEA) - take place next month at the IEA in Westminster. Make a note of these dates: Thursday June 3, Thursday June 10, Tuesday June 15, Thursday June 24 and Tuesday June 29.

Speakers currently confirmed include Philip Davies MP; Steve Baker MP; Michael White, assistant editor of the Guardian; Ross Clark, author of The Road To Southend: One Man's Struggle Against the Surveillance Society; Dr Eamonn Butler, director of the Adam Smith Institute; Alex Deane, director of Big Brother Watch and former chief of staff to David Cameron; Dr Tim Evans, president of the Libertarian Alliance; freedom of information campaigner Heather Brooke; Chris Mounsey, leader of the Libertarian party; Josie Appleton of the Manifesto Club; and Daily Telegraph journalist Philip Johnston, author of Bad Laws: An Explosive Analysis of Britain’s Petty Rules, Health and Safety Lunacies and Madcap Laws. More speakers will be confirmed shortly.

Each debate begins at 7.00pm but prior to that there will be a drinks reception from 6.00pm hosted by The Free Society and sponsored by Boisdale of Belgravia.

Entry is free but strictly RSVP. Email events@forestonline.org or telephone 01223 370156.

Needless to say all readers of Taking Liberties are invited. For more details click HERE. For updates register your name and email address HERE.

And spread the word.

Update on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 by Simon Clark

By coincidence, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg will give a speech this morning in which he will say that the government will "transform our politics so the state has far less control over you, and you have far more control over the state". The BBC reports that:

He will also accuse the previous government of "obsessive lawmaking" and pledge to "get rid of the unnecessary laws" and "introduce a mechanism to block pointless new criminal offences". He will also pledged to ask the public "which laws you think should go".

Story HERE.

Voices of Freedom: The Battle Against Big Government will hold the government to account to ensure that it delivers on these promises.

Update on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 by Simon Clark

Typical! The Free Society site has temporarily gone down. Fingers crossed, it will be online soon.

UPDATE: it is now. Phew!

The Great Repeal Bill: a plan for action

The state opening of Parliament will take place on May 25 when the Queen's Speech is expected to include a "Freedom" or "Great Repeal" Bill "to reverse the substantial erosion of civil liberties under the Labour Government".

Confusion surrounds the exact nature of the Bill, what will be in it, and which minister will take responsibility for the Bill’s drafting and progress, but hopes are high that it will take into account an experiment launched last year by Conservative MP Douglas Carswell.

Co-author of The Plan, which became a surprise bestseller when it was published two years ago, Carswell posted his idea for a Great Repeal Bill online and invited people to debate why certain laws should be included or excluded from the bill.

Now, let's be honest. An amendment to the smoking ban is not going to feature in the Queen's Speech. Likewise, it is going to take one hell of a campaign to persuade the new Government to include such a clause in the proposed Bill. Nevertheless a very small window has opened up and there is a tiny chink of light in the distance ...

Let's hope it's not an onrushing train ...

For further information click HERE.

See also: MP calls on voters to draft new law online.

Update: Forest will be lobbying MPs on this subject very shortly. Register your support HERE and we will send you further information.

When free speech equals career suicide

"Academic freedom - the responsibility to speak your mind and challenge conventional wisdom - defines the university and stands as a model for open debate in wider society," argues Professor Dennis Hayes.

Founder of Academics For Academic Freedom (AFAF), Dennis says:

"In today’s political climate it is harder than ever for academics to defend open debate. Restrictive legislation, and the bureaucratic rules and regulations of government quangos and of universities themselves, have undermined academic freedom.

bq. "Many academics are fearful of upsetting managers and politicians by expressing controversial opinions. Afraid to challenge mainstream thought, many pursue self-censorship. AFAF is a campaign for all lecturers, academic-related staff, students and researchers who want to make a public statement in favour of unimpeded enquiry and expression."

This week AFAF is asking academics and students in universities and colleges everywhere to organise events that focus on issues of academic freedom and free speech. Writing on The Free Society website today, Dennis argues that:

When Academics For Academic Freedom declared the birth date of John Stuart Mill (May 20), author of On Liberty, as International Academic Freedom Day, our focus was not on how relatively comfortable academics in liberal Western could support those suffering persecution abroad, but to raise the issue of academic freedom everywhere. There are almost daily attacks on academic freedom in even the most liberal countries and they are just as important, even more important, for Western academics to take up. If you don’t defend academic freedom in your own backyard you can’t consistently defend it elsewhere.

AFAF has learned that even raising the question of academic freedom in the abstract was not easy in liberal democracies and very dangerous in many countries. Defending academic freedom in the West may affect your career. In illiberal countries career suicide may be the least consequence of speaking out.

Full article HERE.

Details of International Academic Freedom Day HERE.

PS. Ever wondered why so few scientists or academics challenge the "evidence" on issues such as passive smoking? Two words: "career suicide".

Tom, Lorraine and the Tangerine dream

Well, that was quite a weekend. And the result? Never in doubt. LOL.

Unfortunately we never made it to Dundee for yesterday's civic reception (above) because, en route to Glasgow on Friday night, I got the following text message from my friend Helen.

"OK for Sunday?"

"What's happening on Sunday?" I replied, cautiously.

"Tom's confirmation" came the curt response.

Tom, I should mention, is my godson and he's the same age, 15, as my son Ruari.

And so, ever so slightly tired, we were woken up at six o'clock yesterday morning, given a traditional Scottish fry-up and sent on our way. But instead of heading north (east) to Dundee as planned, we had to drive south to, er, Watford for the confirmation service which was followed by "light refreshments" in the parish centre and then (Tom's choice) dinner for family and friends in a local Indian restaurant.

Not quite the celebration I had planned but Tom, should you ever read this, you read your prayer beautifully. And the meal was pretty good too.

Needless to say I milked the fact that we had driven 320 miles to be there, missing the biggest party in Scotland to do so.

"Don't worry," said a well-meaning person sympatheticaly, "you can always go next year."

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!

Time to leap that final hurdle - again

I am in Glasgow today for the Scottish Cup final at Hampden. I was also there in 1994, the first and only time Dundee United won the Scottish Cup. We beat Rangers 1-0. We weren't expected to win and the game was won with a goal conceded following a laughable mix-up in the Rangers defence. After the ball cannoned (very slowly) off the post and dribbled out, the goalscorer, Craig Brewster, put it in the net from all of, oh, three feet. Even I could have scored from that distance.

But who cares how we scored? United fans just wanted to win the bloody cup. Before that, we had lost six Scottish Cup and two League Cup finals at Hampden in 20 years. Supporters published a fanzine called The Final Hurdle and winning the Scottish Cup at Hampden became our Holy Grail.

Since then United have lost a further three finals (one Scottish Cup, two League Cup) but those losses didn't hurt anything like the earlier defeats when we had a far better team (good enough, one year, to beat Barcelona home and away in the UEFA Cup), usually outplayed our opponents in the final, yet still lost.

Oddly enough, it was usually Celtic or Rangers we outplayed. Whenever we played a so-called "lesser" team the players seemed to freeze and play their worst game of the season.

That's why I'm not taking anything for granted today. We've just had our best league season since 1997, we're playing Ross County, and we're overwhelming favourites.

Sounds to me like a recipe for disaster. Watch this space.

PS. United have sold 27,000 tickets. Not bad for a club with an average home attendance of 8,500, including away fans. Ross County (average attendance 2,100) have sold 15,000.

Celebrate but let's not get carried away

Chris Snowdon, who writes the excellent Velvet Glove Iron Fist blog which is named after the book of the same name, has some interesting things to say - from a libertarian perspective - about the outcome of the general election. Writing for The Free Society, Chris says:

A glance at the Con-Dem agreement offers a stark reminder of how many freedoms have been lost since 1997, and of how many more were under threat from a fourth Labour term. The ID card scheme and its attendant national database will now be scrapped. School children will not be finger-printed without parental consent. Jury trial will be protected. CCTV will be regulated. The right to protest will be restored. Safeguards will be put in place to stop the misuse of anti-terrorist laws. Police will no longer be able to keep the DNA records of innocent people in perpetuity.

This is all good news, adds Chris, but ...

Dave ‘n’ Nick’s ... attitude towards the nanny state is more ambiguous. A Great Repeal Bill is on the cards, but which laws will be overturned remains to be seen. Drinkers and smokers, like fox-hunters, might find themselves at the back of a very long line. The Lib Dems were the first party to advocate a smoking ban in pubs and are more likely to ease up on marijuana than on tobacco. For their part, the Tories are even more inclined towards the Daily Mail’s stance on ‘booze Britain’ than were Labour ...

Dave ‘n’ Nick may, like Gordon Brown, find that fresh prohibitions in the name of public health are eye-catching and inexpensive ways of diverting attention away from more serious problems. It is simply too early to say whether their commitment to civil liberties will translate into support for social liberties ...

Meanwhile:

As they regroup, Labour strategists might reflect that bullying the public over their lifestyles turned out not to be the vote-winner the pressure groups assured them it would be. Of course, it would be wrong to pretend that civil liberties played a major role in the election, but while we may not have voted for liberty on May 6th, there is half a chance, if Dave ‘n’ Nick ignore the shriller voices around them, that we might get it anyway.

Full article HERE. Worth reading. You can comment here.

PS. Chris Snowdon’s new book The Spirit Level Delusion: Fact-checking the Left’s New Theory of Everything is published on Monday 17th May. More details, including a review, to follow.

How liberal is Cameron's Cabinet?

The new Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government has released a document outlining a programme of measures intended to reverse "the substantial erosion of civil liberties under the Labour Government and roll back state intrusion". It includes plans to:

• Scrap the ID card scheme and the national identity register and the next generation of biometric passports
• Extend the scope of the Freedom of Information bill to provide greater transparency
• Adopt protections of the Scottish model for the DNA database
• Protect trial by jury
• Review libel laws to protect freedom of speech
• Regulate use of CCTV and other items

But how liberal are the individual members of our new coalition government? Watch this space.

H/T Big Brother Watch and Police State UK

Update on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 by Simon Clark

DAVID CAMERON, Prime Minister (Con)
Mysteriously avoided voting on the public smoking ban. Allegedly told Daily Mail journalists (during a private visit to their Kensington office a year ago) that he wouldn't repeal the ban because "I don't smoke". Well, not anymore.

NICK CLEGG, Deputy Prime Minister (Lib Dem)
Another no show when it came to voting on the smoking ban, despite the fact that our new deputy PM is an "occasional smoker". Now a strong supporter of the ban, having swallowed the propaganda on passive smoking.

GEORGE OSBORNE, Chancellor of the Exchequer (Con)
Like his mate Cameron, Osborne didn't vote on the smoking ban. Perhaps he dislikes taking tough decisions.

WILLIAM HAGUE, Foreign Secretary (Con)
Voted against blanket smoking ban, supporting exemption for private members' clubs.

THERESA MAY, Home Secretary (Con)
Voted against smoking ban, supporting exemption for private members' clubs.

DR LIAM FOX, Defence Secretary (Con)
Voted against ban on smoking in private member clubs.

ANDREW LANSLEY, Health Secretary (Con)
Voted for smoking ban with exemption for private members' clubs. Supports removal of vending machines from public areas of licensed premises. Not in favour of extending smoking ban (yet).

MICHAEL GOVE, Education Secretary (Con)
Voted against blanket smoking ban.

VINCE CABLE, Business Secretary (Lib Dem)
Voted to ban smoking in all pubs and clubs with no exemptions.

KENNETH CLARKE, Justice Secretary (Con)
Voted against blanket ban, as you would expect of a smoker and the deputy chairman of British American Tobacco.

IAN DUNCAN SMITH, Work and Pensions (Con)
Voted for smoking ban, with exemption for private members' clubs.

CHRIS HUHNE, Energy and Climate Change (Lib Dem)
Voted to ban smoking in all pubs and clubs with no exemptions.

DAVID LAWS, Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Lib Dem)
Voted moderately on smoking issues.

DANNY ALEXANDER, Scottish Secretary (Lib Dem)
Voted to ban smoking in all pubs and clubs with no exemptions.

ERIC PICKLES, Local Government Secretary (Con)
Didn't vote on smoking ban.

CAROLINE SPELMAN, Defra (Con)
Voted to ban smoking in all pubs and clubs with no exemptions.

FRANCIS MAUDE, Cabinet Office (Con)
Didn't vote on public smoking ban.

JEREMY HUNT, Culture, Media and Sport (Con)
Voted against blanket ban, supporting exemption for private members' clubs.

OWEN PATERSON, Northern Ireland (Con)
Voted moderately against smoking ban, with exemption for private members' clubs. Attended Forest dinner at The Savoy in 2007.

PHILIP HAMMOND, Transport (Con)
Voted against blanket ban, supporting exemption for private members' clubs.

ANDREW MITCHELL, International Development (Con)
Voted moderately against smoking ban, with exemption for private members' clubs.

OLIVER LETWIN, Minister Without Portfolio (Con)
Voted "ambiguously" but against ban in private member clubs.

CHERYL GILLAN, Wales (Con)
Voted moderately against smoking ban, with exemption for private members' clubs.

PATRICK McLOUGHLIN, Chief Whip (Con)
Voted moderately for smoking ban, with exemption for private members' clubs.

H/T The Public Whip

Update on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 by Simon Clark

Looking at the above, how f*ckin' liberal are the Liberal Democrats!!!

Going, going ... gone

Smoke signals say Con-Lib coalition

If it is true that the Tories have finally reached agreement with the Liberal Democrats, it would be nice to think that the puff of smoke above the Cabinet Office was David Cameron and Nick Clegg celebrating their political marriage of convenience with a stiff drink and a cigarette.

Unlikely, I know, but a man can dream, can't he?

David Cameron on God and Giving Up Smoking (WSJ blogs)
Clegg reveals his smoking habit (Politics.co.uk)

The death of democracy?

I was 14 when the Conservatives lost the February 1974 election to Labour and Ted Heath spent the next three days trying - and failing - to patch together an alliance with the Liberal party.

Heath had asked the country a simple and, in hindsight, politically suicidal question: who runs the country - the government or the miners? If you have to ask the question, the electorate responded, you probably shouldn't be in government.

Even Conservatives found it hard to stomach the party leader trying to hang on to power. But compared to Gordon Brown and Labour in 2010, Ted Heath and the Tories had two things going for them:

(1) They had just four fewer seats than Labour
(2) They had the largest number of votes

In contrast, in 2010 Labour has 48 fewer seats than the Conservatives (having lost 91), while the Tories (having gained 97 seats) attracted two million more votes than Labour.

Despite this, Gordon Brown is still in No 10 and following today's statement (which some people described as "statesmanlike" but I would describe as undemocratic and dictatorial) he could be there for a further five months before handing over to his successor.

That person could then assume the mantle of prime minister without having fought an election as party leader. Remind you of anyone?

I honestly can't believe I am writing this. This is supposed to be a democracy, for Christ's sake. Are you listening, Gordon Brown? Read my lips. You just lost an election. Your party lost 91 seats. You have 48 fewer seats than the Conservatives. And two million fewer voters.

OK, so the Conservatives didn't get the seats they needed to form a majority government, but they are by far the biggest party with the largest number of votes. Morally and ethically, the Tories should have the opportunity to govern this country today. Not tomorrow or the day after that. NOW.

If the two-faced Liberal Democrats join Labour plus assorted nationalists and a single Green socialist in a so-called "progressive alliance", I guarantee that there will be tens - possibly hundreds - of thousands of people marching down Whitehall in protest.

And I'll be one of them.

Update on Monday, May 10, 2010 by Simon Clark

21:10 Just been listening to former Labour minister John Reid on Five Live. I think he agrees with me. I certainly agree with him. Nice to know there are still some honourable people left in politics. Or, should I say, on the left in politics.

Time for Cameron to grow some cojones

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a bit cheesed off with the length of time the negotiations between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are dragging on, especially as we are led to believe that Nick Clegg is also speaking to Labour (without, it seems, telling DC).

Lib Dems seek more Tory details (BBC News)

Surely there has to come a time, sooner rather than later, when Cameron says to Clegg and his leftie mates, "Take it or leave it". If the Lib Dems want to join forces with a discredited Labour regime (with or without Gordon Brown), so be it. The public will decide what they think of that decision at the next election, the countdown to which will start the moment Clegg shakes the outgoing (?) PM's hand.

Then again (to be fair to Cameron), I'm currently involved in negotiations on behalf of Forest and I've been tempted to tell the other party to "stuff it" more than once but I have been persuaded by a third party to stick with it because the advantages - if we can reach even a compromise agreement - outweigh the disadvantages. Apparently.

Perhaps I'm just impatient. Or a terrible negotiator. As with all negotiations, however, there has to be a point at which you walk away - and the other side has to know that there's a point at which you'll walk away - otherwise they'll start taking the mickey.

PS. We were due to make an announcement today about an exciting new initiative (nothing to do with the negotiations mentioned above) but the indecision surrounding the make-up of our new government has caused a postponement. You'll understand why when we finally make the announcement, probably next week.

Update on Monday, May 10, 2010 by Simon Clark

17:15 I had literally just published this post when I saw this: Gordon Brown 'stepping down as Labour leader' (BBC). Don't get too excited, though. He wants a new Labour leader to be in place by the (wait for it) September party conference!!!

What this means is, a Lib/Lab alliance is still a possibility. Clearly, Clegg has said he won't work with Brown and but he has left open the prospect of working with Brown's successor. In the meantime we would be stuck with a lame duck PM for a further five (!) months.

PS. The thought of Brown milking a "statesmanlike" departure from office at the Labour party conference is too much to bear. Wake me up from this nightmare ... please!!!

Smoking out our heroes and villains

I'm not going to pretend that the smoking ban played a significant role in the outcome of the election. It didn't. While many of the people who comment on this blog continue to feel very strongly about the issue, as I do, most people take into account a number of issues when they cast their vote. I know I do, otherwise I wouldn't have voted Conservative yesterday.

Anyway, one reason I stayed up until five o'clock last night was to see how our smoker-friendly candidates got on, and which anti-tobacco candidates fell by the wayside. In the event I got overwhelmed by the results coming in thick and fast so today and over the weekend I will consider the evidence and post some of it here.

Heroes

Let's start with some good news. Greg Knight and Philip Davies (Conservative), the two MPs who have been most supportive of Forest's efforts, were re-elected with increased majorities. In Philip's case, his majority in Shipley, North Yorkshire, shot up from 422 to 9,944, a fantastic result and well deserved. An outspoken opponent of the smoking ban, Greg increased his majority in Yorkshire East from 6,284 to 10,842.

Good result too for Nigel Evans (Conservative) in Ribble Valley. Like Greg and Philip, Nigel supports our campaign to amend the smoking ban - and we need all the help we can get!

Among the new intake I was delighted to see Robert Halfon win Harlow for the Tories. Robert has attended a number of Forest events at party conference and two years ago, when we organised Tories Got Talent in Birmingham, Robert spoke in defence of smokers' rights.

I had mixed feelings when I heard the Tories had failed to win Torbay. It suggested that they weren't going to get an overall majority. On the other hand, the victor was Adrian Sanders (Lib Dem) who assured me last year that he would support an amendment to the smoking ban. He voted against a blanket ban in 2006.

Villians

Anti-smoking "Twitter tsar" Kerry McCarthy hung on to her Bristol East seat despite a significant swing to other parties. McCarthy and Forest have "history", as they say, so no tears would have shed by us had she lost her seat. Instead she lives to fight another day.

Sorry it didn't work out

As I reported earlier this week, Tory candidate Annesley Abercorn favours separate smoking rooms and was happy to say so. Unfortunately Annesley came second to the Lib Dems in Hazel Grove near Manchester. Better luck next time.

Same message to Nigel Huddleston (Conservative) who lost out to Labour in Luton South. Nigel had the bottle to support our Save Our Pubs & Clubs initiative - he was even prepared to have his photograph taken while wearing a fetching yellow campaign t-shirt when we invited him to a meeting of publicans in Luton last year. Your day will come, Nigel, have no fear.

Pat Nurse (UKIP) fought Louth & Horncastle with amendments to the smoking ban high on her agenda. Sadly she came fifth but a great effort from someone with no previous political experience and no budget to speak of.

Fellow UKIP candidate Nick Hogan suffered a similar fate. The landlord jailed (but quickly released) for allowing people to smoke in his pub came fourth in Chorley. If I know Nick he'll be back at the bar today drinking a Budweiser. Cheers!

Goodbye and good luck

Sorry to see Nigel Waterson (Conservative) lose his seat to the Lib Dems in Eastbourne. Nigel opposed the smoking ban and attended Forest's Revolt In Style dinner at The Savoy in 2007.

Goodbye and good riddance

Delighted to see the back of Labour's Gillian Merron who lost her Lincoln seat to the Conservatives. A few months ago Merron denied that the smoking ban had led to the closure of a single pub. Not one. Now she will have plenty of time to sit in the pubs that are still open and ponder the wisdom of that remark.

Meanwhile, let's not forget that former home secretary Jacqui Smith (Labour) voted for a comprehensive smoking ban - and look what happened to her!

More to follow ... Feel free to add your own heroes and villians in the comments.

Do the Tories have a Plan B?

Labour has clearly lost the election but their vote stood up pretty well in the circumstances. In terms of the future, I wouldn't be too unhappy if I was a Labour activist. The party hasn't gone into meltdown like the Tories in 1997 and 2001 and they still have a respectable number of seats.

However Labour cannot move forward with Brown as leader. The question is, does he realise this and, if not, who among his Cabinet colleagues has the bottle to tell him to his face?

One other point. Within minutes of the exit poll being published, Labour seemed to know exactly what their tactics were. Harriet Harman, then Peter Mandelson (who has never made any secret of the fact that he wants to build a centre left alliance), and later David Miliband and others queued up to say that the voting system had to be changed. This was as big a come on to the Lib Dems as you could ever wish to see and it continued all night.

Even when it became clear that we were going to get a hung parliament I didn't hear a clear message from David Cameron or the Conservatives. They must have talked about the prospect of a hung parliament, surely, but from what I saw last you would never have guessed it.

The likes of George Osborne and Theresa May didn't fill me with confidence. Frankly, they seemed to be hoping against hope that the results would take them to magic number of seats (326) and they wouldn't have to come up with a Plan B.

Not good. Not good at all.