Freedom talks

On Thursday I nipped up to Birmingham to meet Simon Richards, director of the Freedom Association. Birmingham is to host this year's Conservative party conference and Simon and I are exploring some form of joint initiative. He has found what promises to be an excellent venue and I am excited that as well as speaker meetings and debates, there is scope to be even more ambitious. Our exact plans are under wraps but expect more details in the spring. Ditto our events at the Labour conference in Manchester and the LibDem conference in Bournemouth.

Forest and Felix Dennis

Number six on the Birmingham Post Rich List (published yesterday) is our old friend Felix Dennis. Estimated to be worth £750m, thanks to his transatlantic publishing empire, Dennis first came to public attention in 1971 as one of three defendants in the infamous Oz obscenity trials.

I interviewed Felix some years ago and we correspond, occasionally, even now. A couple of years ago he sent a long message of support in which he stated: "Forest is fighting for the rights not only for smokers, but of non-smokers, too, when it challenges petty-minded bureaucrats, arrogant ministers and hoardes of unelected 'specialists'."

In 2002 Forest honoured him with our top award. He was in America and unable to attend the relevant event, but took it seriously enough to send the editor of Maxim - Dennis Publishing's flagship title - to receive it in his absence, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the Post:

Dennis Publishing - which owns more than 50 titles - was named in the Sunday Times as one of the top 100 best companies to work for the UK, something which will have given the people-centred Felix Dennis much pleasure. Almost as much as the coveted title of "Smokers’ Rights Champion of the Year", an accolade the chain-smoking publisher picked up from smokers’ pressure group Forest.

As well as poetry, Felix's other interests are said to include cars, sculpture, drinking fine French wine and planting trees. When he dies he hopes to leave behind the largest forest in England. It is dubbed (rather appropriately) the "Forest of Dennis".

Business in the community

After lunch (see below) I walked across Hungerford Bridge, past the refurbished Festival Hall (where a jazz band was entertaining scores of foreign tourists), along the South Bank to the National Theatre, and on to the Oxo Tower.

Behind Oxo Tower Wharf, now home to design studios, galleries and restaurants, I had another meeting - this time with an entrepreneur and IT company who are developing an ambitious, community driven project for pub-going smokers. I can't say more than that but if it comes off it could be a useful tool to combat the "denormalisation" of smoking.

Face to face with Facebook

It took four hours to get home from London on Tuesday, a journey that normally takes 60 minutes. A signal failure near Kings Cross meant that no trains could enter or leave the station. When eventually we did get on a moving train, it was so crowded it made a cattle truck seem like first class accommodation.

Anyway, it didn't spoil the day which began with a meeting - and lunch - to discuss our forthcoming Facebook group. I won't kid you. Facebook, MySpace - even Friends Reunited (remember that?) - have all passed me by. Other people however have convinced me that what The Free Society needs is a Facebook group that links to lots of other Facebook groups. I am told that it will help drive traffic to our website and encourage more people aged 25-45 to play an active role in our campaign, either online or by attending our events.

The group will be launched next month, following the launch of The Free Society website on February 4. This in turn will be followed by one or more Free Society events when we will test the water to see if publicising events on Facebook actually works. Details to follow.

The Free Society - countdown to launch

Our new Free Society website will be launched on Monday February 4. The campaign is non-party political and the website will feature articles from both sides of the political spectrum. Most contributors will share our support for laissez faire politics and the belief that less government is better government, but we won't reject articles that offer a contrary point of view. Far from it. 
 
The Free Society website will include news, features and opinion on a range of issues. Visitors will be encouraged to comment on articles in order to create a lively, interactive forum. The site will also feature links to other campaigns, websites and blogs that share our libertarian principles.
 
Although this is a soft launch, we will be writing to over 1000 opinion formers and decision-makers including MPs, MSPs, AMs, MEPs, journalists, broadcasters and political commentators, drawing the site to their attention. We will also be buying advertising space on some of the UK's leading political blogs - including Iain Dale's Diary and Guido Fawkes.

Watch this space.

Modern miracles

I may have given the impression (HERE and HERE) that modern technology is more trouble than it's worth. Now that my iPhone is up and running, and Sky finally made good their promise to install a Sky+ box in my home, I would like to say that the iPhone is the best toy I have ever had. It is truly scrumptious.

Sky+ too is a modern miracle. It may not be as aesthetically pleasing as an iPhone, but I predict that it will have a greater impact on my life because it really does liberate you from the tyranny of the TV programmers.

Sure, videos and DVDs have been around for yonks and do a similar job, but I can't tell you how easy Sky+ is to use. I have just seen the future - and for a Luddite like me, it works.

Donations welcome but not compulsory

Some time ago I invited comments on the issue of organ donation. Influenced, perhaps, by the fact that my father had to wait 18 months and very nearly died before a suitable donor could be found for a heart transplant, I expressed support for the idea that everyone should be placed on the donor register - unless they choose to opt out.

No-one, so far as I can recall, supported my view. Indeed, several people (smokers, presumably) said they were ready to rip up their donor cards if they continued to be victimised. I was impressed by this response not because I think it is right (they would, after all, be taking their anger out on the wrong people) but because it demonstated the depth of resentment many feel towards the present government.

Anyway, the subject has once again raised its head with Gordon Brown said to be in favour of a system of "presumed consent". This has aroused considerable comment including a lively debate on Iain Dale's blog, HERE. Iain writes:

My body belongs to me, not the government, nor the NHS. I carry a donor card. I have made a free choice that in the event of any of my body parts being useful to someone else in the event of my death, someone else is welcome to them. I made an active choice. Gordon Brown is now proposing that there should be presumed consent and that people would have to opt out if they didn't want their organs used. If this is allowed to go through it will set a very dangerous precedent and it will be a further diminution of the freedom of the individual to make an informed choice.

It's not something I feel strongly about but I can see that other people do and I am slowly changing my mind in favour of the "voluntary" option based on freedom of choice. It is important that people who support "freedom of choice" do so right across the board, not just on issues we care about. If you're a genuine libertarian you can't pick and choose which issues to support (although you can put them in perspective).

It is however important that if you want to voluntarily register to donate organs after your death it should be made as easy as possible to do so - and next of kin should not (in my view) be allowed to impede the process. Iain has published a link to "How to become a donor" and I am happy to do the same. Click HERE.

Blair's little earner

I'm no fan of Tony Blair but I don't see why people are getting so hot under the collar about the £0.5m (or is it £1m?) a year he will allegedly be paid by US bank JP Morgan as a part-time adviser.

Our former prime minister has done his time in parliament. Unlike Tony Benn (for example) he had no wish to hang around, and I don't blame him. Having got to the very top of his profession, he understandably wants to do something else. Accepting this and other offers is not "cashing in". It's called earning a living and Blair is perfectly entitled to accept whatever jobs come his way.

Career politicians are, in my view, a menace. (There are exceptions, but not many.) The only thing I would add is that it might be better if politicians took a "proper" job before they enter politics rather than afterwards. That way, prospective MPs could be chosen on the basis of their achievements and "real life" experience rather than their political CV.

The next generation

I have just accepted an invitation to address the Oxford Hayek Society. The OHS is a libertarian society at Oxford University, committed to the advancement of individual liberty. I'm delighted to do it because part of our long-term strategy is to develop links with student groups with a view to influencing the next generation.

Another reason is that the late Lord Harris (former chairman of Forest and the inspiration for The Free Society) was himself a disciple of Hayek. According to Ralph's obituary in The Times (see HERE):

A frank apologist for free markets, Harris was among a group of post-war economists inspired by Friedrich Hayek who, at a time when it was deeply unfashionable, opposed the legacy of government planning left by John Maynard Keynes and proposed an unbound capitalist society.

This will be my first speaking engagement at Oxford since February 2005 when I joined forces with Forest patron Antony Worrall Thompson to oppose the motion that "This House would ban smoking in all public places". Proposing the motion, at the Oxford Union, was Professor Sir Charles George, president of the British Medical Association, and Lord Faulkner of Worcester.

Sadly the result was a win for the ayes, 118 - 82. Ironically, a few months earlier the Union had been forced to reverse a self-imposed smoking ban because they were losing so much money as students deserted the Union bar in favour of the local pubs!

Modern life is crap

If you've been following my trials and tribulations with gadgets, gizmos and flatpack furniture you may be interested to know that I finally activated my beautiful new iPhone yesterday. It took the best part of the morning to get it working and sync all my contacts, email accounts, bookmarks, music etc.

Then, when I tried to customise my voicemail, it froze and I was forced to "restore" the original factory settings by downloading the relevant software. This took 70 minutes during which the network "timed out" and I had to start all over again. I then had to sync all my contacts, email accounts, bookmarks, music etc. (Fortunately I didn't have to re-register with O2. The phone remembered my number and account.)

Coincidentally, while all this was happening, I received an email from Brian Monteith asking me how I was getting on with my iPhone. I was only too happy to tell him. His response when, finally, I got the blasted thing working, was: "Well done.  You'll be using Lego next, ha, ha! Meanwhile, stay away from my laptop!!" Charming.

Motoring heaven or motoring hell?

I have said it before - in the right hands, technology can be a wonderful thing. In the wrong hands it can be used to enslave rather than liberate. Today General Motors will unveil a car which "doesn't need a driver". The Daily Mail seems to think this is A Good Thing:

Imagine going for a drive - and being able to sit back and enjoy the view. Or taking the car to the pub - and then taking it home. For most of us, that's a pipe dream involving a chauffeur or perhaps a particularly selfless spouse. But the car that drives itself may be only a few years away.

I don't know about you, but the car that drives itself is one step from motoring hell. For a start, the government will make sure it is programmed never to exceed the speed limit (which will no doubt be slashed to reduce the potential carnage from a pile-up of driverless vehicles).

Unlike the Starship Enterprise, it won't be allowed to boldly go where no man has gone before. Quite the reverse. Stealing an inch at traffic lights? No chance. Unauthorised U-turns? Forget it. Off-roading? Never. Not in a billion years. (Think of the environment.)

As for the pub (if it still exists in 2018 when GM expects the driverless car to be on the streets), does anyone really think they will be allowed to get in, even as a passenger, under the influence of alcohol? Of course not. The driverless car will come, I'm sure, with an immobiliser that will detect automatically the faintest whiff of alcohol. (Woe betide anyone who has just consumed a sherry trifle.)

General Motors calls the car The Boss. How appropriate. Full article HERE.

Nanny state? Have your say

We have been approached by a leading British independent film and television production company who produce documentary films for, among others, the BBC, Channel 4 and Five.

The company is developing a film about Britain’s nanny state and the people who are fighting against it. They want to speak to people who have a personal story that has affected them in such a way that not only are they unwilling to accept it, they are actively campaigning against it.

Publican Hamish Howitt - who spoke at our Conservative conference event in Blackpool last year - is an obvious example, but it needn't have anything to do with smoking. It might be to do with weight or alcohol consumption. Or something else.

If you have a story to tell - or know of someone who does - drop me a note.

Happy new year

One of our projects in 2008 is to compile a series of comments about the smoking ban. The best will be available online and we will also produce a printed version to send to every MP. A good example is this email - just received - from Andy in Glasgow:

My dad fought in the Second World War in order that we could all live in a free country. Now, as a smoker of 46 years, I feel more like a prisoner in my own country. We pay the same taxes as others, but god forbid we should light up a cigarette.

Recently I had to pay a substantial sum for a wedding in a hotel in Glasgow and had to stand outside like a second class citizen. I pay a lot of money in taxes including £196 a month council tax. I have to drive 420 miles a night in my heavy goods vehicle and can't smoke a cigarette or I'll be breaking the law of the land. Is that a laugh or what?

Andy adds: "Best of luck with your campaign. Happy new year." Happy new year to you too.

Oops, she did it again

From today's Daily Mirror: "Ex-public health minister Caroline Flint has fallen foul of the smoking law she championed. She has been driven out of her Commons office by people lighting up in a designated smoking area right by her window. Now Ms Flint, welfare minister since Gordon Brown's summer reshuffle, wants a room away from the Westminster addicts she forced into the open. Husband and office manager Phil Cole said: "Even with the windows closed the smoke kept coming in."

Article HERE.

My media

A number of bloggers have been contributing to a My Week In Media meme. (No, I didn't know what a meme was either until I looked it up HERE.) To be honest, I can't imagine anything more self-indulgent. However, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, so ...

What I’ve read
For work, I should read all the papers. In practise, I read the Telegraph and Mail in depth and flick through the others for items of specific interest. If I miss something it is usually picked up by a colleague or our press cutting agency, which also keeps tabs on the regional press.

Forest subscribes to two news agencies - Meltwater and DeHaviland. Meltwater provides the newsfeed for our website so every day I check the latest stories and select those that are most relevant. Having made my choice, they then appear on the newsfeed. DeHaviland offer a comprehensive information service that keeps us up-to-date with everything that is happening in parliament.

I am currently proof-reading a forthcoming Forest publication, Forty Lashes: Smoking, Sin and Science by Mat Coward. This is a rare example of an unsolicited manuscript that is a delight to read. Fingers crossed, we are hoping to publish it next month.

I usually have one or two books on the go, which I mostly read on the train into London. Last year my favourite book, which I read on holiday, was Fatty Batter by Michael Simpkins. That was (loosely) about cricket. I am currently reading two football-related books - You Win Nothing With Kids: Fathers, Sons and Football by Jim White (sports writer with the Daily Telegraph), and the award-winning Provided You Don't Kiss Me: 20 Years With Brian Clough by Duncan Hamilton.

Magazine-wise, I always buy The Spectator and Private Eye, but largely out of habit. I've been reading them for 30 years but neither tickle my fancy these days. The Spectator, in particular, has very little substance. The New Statesman is a better political magazine, although I loathe its politics.

Other magazines I have bought in the past month include iCreate, MacFormat, What Laptop, What Car, Top Gear Test Drive Directory, What Plasma & LCD TV, What Hi-Fi, Digital Video and Digital Camera Buyer. I liken all this to the little boy with his nose pressed hard against the toy shop window. He hasn't got the money to buy anything, but he likes to look (and dream).

What I’ve watched
Apart from the news, the only programmes I make a genuine effort to watch are Top Gear, Have I Got News For You and Match of the Day. Re-runs of Frasier on Paramount2 are also a must. I missed Extras when it was shown on Boxing Day because I was at the National Theatre watching War Horse but I caught up with it when it was repeated on BBC2. Like the two series, I was disappointed. It meandered along and only came alive in the last 15 minutes. Unlike The Office, I didn't really care about the characters because none of them had sufficient depth. The Christmas edition of Doctor Who also failed to live up to the hype.

Over Christmas I have been watching Life On Mars (series one) on DVD. I have also been watching Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? (the complete box set). This was a present to my 13-year-old son who loves it as much as I do.

What I’ve listened to
I listen mostly to Five Live. Nicky Campbell, Simon Mayo and Peter Allen are all marvellous broadcasters. What I can't stand are the phone-ins and ridiculous emails they insist on reading out. Why do we have to listen to people mouthing off about subjects they clearly know nothing about? Can't they write a blog instead?

I rarely listen to music at home these days. Instead, if I'm not listening to the radio, I use my iPod (set to random play) when driving. Thanks to my son I am listening, almost for the first time, to Led Zeppelin. And Jimmy Hendrix. I have drawn the line, however, at AC/DC and Guns N' Roses.

Where I’ve surfed
My kids have just discovered Bebo so I've been checking it out to see what they're getting into and whether I should be worried. Meanwhile, I keep getting asked to join various groups or become someone's friend on Facebook. Yesterday I was invited to join the group "Jeremy Clarkson should be prime minister" which has more than 267,000 members. I'll think about it.

Blog-wise, my daily reads include Iain Dale's Diary. On its day IDD is essential reading. Am I alone, however, in thinking that Iain is sounding just a trifle smug these days?

For work, I monitor The Publican and a variety of smoking-related sites at home and abroad. Personally, I believe the smoking/anti-ban lobby would be far more effective if there were fewer sites and greater cooperation/coordination. Unfortunately, there are too many egos involved and - human nature being what it is - most people prefer to be big fish in small ponds. C'est la vie.

PS. Feel free to add your own week/month in media lists in the Comments section.