Sun, sand and smokers' rights

On Thursday I spent the day in Bournemouth. The sun shone, it was pleasantly hot, a light sea breeze blew in off the Channel, the beach was busy (but not over-crowded), and in the hotels and bars the Pimms was flowing. (I know, because we ordered a jug or two.)

The principal purpose of the visit was to discuss arrangements for the Forest/Free Society reception at the Labour conference in September. Organising a party conference event that stands out is very difficult. Competition is fierce - there can be upwards of 20 other events on at the same time. Free food and drink (especially champagne) helps, but there's more to it than that.

Forest has a pretty good record in this area but this year's challenge is tough. How can we attract our core audience - those who want to smoke - when they can't light up indoors? I think we may have cracked it but we are waiting for the hotel to agree to the idea. Fingers crossed.

Paul and Chris walk tall

Good luck to Paul Toole and Chris Elliott, who are organising a protest march against the smoking ban in Glastonbury today. (Story HERE.)

Yesterday, I met the pair of them in Wells, which is where they held their first protest a few weeks ago. The event may have attracted 'only' 40 people, but in terms of media coverage it punched well above its weight. Hopefully, the Glastonbury march will do the same.

I admire people like Paul and Chris. It takes energy, determination and a lot of planning to organise an event like this. It also takes nerve. (How many people will turn up? How will the public respond? Will everything go according to plan?) Modest and unassuming, they deserve our support.

Update on Saturday, August 11, 2007 by Simon Clark

Paul and Chris have just phoned to say that 80 people took part in the march, double the number in Wells. They were accompanied by a tobacco enforcement officer and an environmental health officer. Afterwards, 40 marchers went to a local pub and lit up in the skittle alley, which counts as an enclosed public place. As a result, Chris was handed a £30 fine by the tobacco enforcement officer who followed them to the pub, and the publican received a warning. According to Paul, the TEO then requested three Forest t-shirts - one for himself, the others for his two sons - and offered to donate £15 towards Chris's fine. You couldn't make it up!

Thanks to Ali, one of the marchers, for the picture of Chris (above left) with his ticket!

Money talks

Other guests at the wedding included my old boss Michael Forsyth (former Secretary of State for Scotland and now Lord Forsyth of Drumlean). Michael gave me my first job. I was just out of university, looking to break into journalism, when I was introduced to him in a pub in central London. A week later I was working as a (junior) account executive for a PR company with offices in Fleet Lane, a stone's throw from St Paul's Cathedral.

Michael is currently chairman of the Tax Reform Commission which last year published a report calling for a "fairer, lower, less complex and more competitive tax system". For some reason, most politicians today are allergic to cutting taxes - or even talking about it. I have always believed that low taxation is essential to a free society. In 2007, Tax Freedom Day was on June 1. In 1963, using the same formula, TFD (had it existed) would have been five weeks earlier, on April 24.

It's not just the money. It's the sense that much of the revenue raised through taxation is poorly spent and there is nothing we can do about it. Hell, I don't mind paying a good whack if only I could see more benefits. Beyond very basic services, I'm not sure that I can.

For some reason we're not giving politicians a hard enough time on the subject. Personally, I would like a wealth warning that makes it clear - when you buy petrol or tobacco, for example - how much of the retail price goes to the government. The more information we have, the more likely it is that people will do something about it.

North of the border

Just back from Scotland, where I have been revisiting old haunts. From the age of 10 I lived in a place called Wormit, which overlooks Dundee from the far (southern) end of the Tay rail bridge, above.

From Wormit I travelled to school in St Andrews, 12 miles away, and every year we find time to drop by, making an additional detour to Anstruther, the Fife fishing village that is home to the best fish and chip shop in Scotland.

On Saturday my wife and I were guests at Neil Rafferty's wedding near Stirling. (Neil is Forest's Scottish spokesman. Prior to that he worked for the Sunday Times and the Press Association in Scotland. From his home in the Borders he recently launched the Daily Mash, Scotland's first "satirical news website".)

Neil and Amy opted for a humanist wedding in a converted barn next to her parents' house (a traditional old farmhouse). Afterwards we moved outside to the garden for several glasses of champagne, and then we had dinner (followed by a reel or two) inside a large marquee. 

I understand that there was a (brief) heatwave in the south of England. In Scotland it was very much cooler (and all the better for that). Thankfully the rain held off for most of the day, the locals (many of whom had helped organise the wedding) were very friendly, and altogether it was a rather splendid occasion.

Suicide watch

Tom Utley, a Forest award winner in, I think, 2004, had THIS to say in his op-ed piece in Friday's Daily Mail.

I should add that Tom is notoriously pessimistic on many subjects, including smoking. Earlier this year he attended one of the private dinners that Forest hosts as part of our political and media lobbying work. We outlined our future plans, including the launch of The Free Society, and invited him to comment.

Within five minutes I wanted to slit my wrists. Former MSP Brian Monteith, who had just given a rousing sermon in support of TFS, felt the same. I hope we can give Tom something to be less gloomy about in future, but (in order to preserve our sanity) we won't be asking him back for a while!

DNA - police want new powers

Remarkable front page story in the Daily Mail yesterday. Difficult to know how much of it to believe (August is the silly season, after all) but the essence of it was that drivers stopped for speeding - or even failing to wear a seatbelt - could soon be placed on a DNA database for life. "The most trivial offences, such as dropping litter, would also lead to samples being taken under sweeping new powers which police are demanding."

The police believe that taking the a DNA sample - even in these circumstances - will make it easier to solve future crimes. A cartoon that accompanied the story featured a motorist saying to a policeman: "Honestly officer, I did not stick out my tongue at you ... I was merely offering a DNA sample." You've got to laugh. Or perhaps not.

Full story, which also appeared in the London Evening Standard on Wednesday, HERE.

Update on Friday, August 3, 2007 by Simon Clark

"Smokers are being fingerprinted and timed when they pop outside a top London nightclub for a cigarette. Koko, in Camden High Street, will only allow revellers seven minutes outside and is insisting on scanning their prints." Full story HERE.

Smokers' corner

As you can imagine, we get a lot of smoking-related correspondence (news, information and comment) that is not relevant to these blog posts. I am also keen that this blog is not dominated by smoking-related issues at the expense of the broader picture we are trying to paint. I have decided therefore to set up a separate section - called Smokers Corner - for smoking-related items that do not fit into the main journal. It begins today. Click HERE.

Countdown to new campaign

Work has started (again) on the new Free Society website. We've had some technical problems but the site is scheduled to go live next month, coinciding with party conference events in Bournemouth (September 25) and Blackpool (September 30).

Date for your diary

If you're in Bournemouth during the Labour party conference, join us for a reception at the Royal Bath Hotel on Tuesday September 25. It's free and it's outside the secure area so you don't need a conference pass.

Paul's protest moves to Glastonbury

Following a well-publicised protest in Wells, Somerset, karaoke owner Paul Toole is organising a similar event in Glastonbury on Saturday August 11. The march coincides with the Glastonbury Extravaganza (August 10-12) so it promises to be well worth the effort. More details HERE.

Legal drug driving to be made illegal?

"Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be targeted during a summer crackdown in England and Wales." Fair enough (full story HERE). But wait:

Steve Green, of the Association of Chief Police Officers, says legally available prescription drugs should be included in the ban. "We've got to err on the safe side. If a drug can have that result [of impairing driving ability] then I think we've got to say to people I'm sorry, if you need this drug, then you shouldn't drive."

So, drivers on legally available prescription drugs could be asked by police to take a roadside test and those who refuse could be arrested and (as a result) fined or even banned from driving.

Think about it. There must be hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of people on prescription drugs. Thousands of older people (organ transplant patients, for example) rely on prescription drugs to keep them alive. Are all these people to live in fear of being pulled over by the police and arrested?

As for drivers who want to quit smoking, I'd think twice about using a prescription drug such as Champix or Zyban. It may help you stop smoking, but at what cost to your independence and even your livelihood?

Help us design a pocket ashtray

We are currently designing a pocket ashtray for distribution at this year's party conferences and beyond. (It's part of our 'Nanny State? No Thanks' campaign.) We'd be interested in feedback re colour (ie gold, white or black). Any preference?

Update on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 by Simon Clark

Black it is (see Comments). The ashtray will be available to everyone who registers their support on the new Free Society website. We're also producing a Forest version (below):

Mirror report cause for concern

Thousands of pubs, bingo halls and working men's clubs could be at risk because of the smoking ban, a report in today's Sunday Mirror suggests.

"Pub takings are down by as much as 40 per cent as smokers choose to drink at home, say landlords in the first major survey into the impact of the month-old ban. Small town-centre pubs and bars in inner-city areas are the worst affected with profits down an average 20 per cent, mainly because they have no outside area for smokers to light up."

Critics will argue that it's not a large survey - the paper contacted just 70 pubs, members-only clubs and bingo halls - but as Richard, a reader of this blog, points out, the report appears in a Labour-supporting newspaper so there is no question of political bias (other than 'New' versus 'Old' Labour).

Full story HERE. I suggest that everyone sends a copy to their MP with a covering note (making it clear that you expect a reply, which we would be interested to read).

Caffeine, Clooney and me

I don't smoke but I do have an addiction. I'm addicted to caffeine. And newspapers. Coffee and newspapers. The two go together like Bill and Ben. Or Starsky and Hutch.

Fuelling my addiction, I was given a Nespresso coffee machine (left) for Christmas and I can honestly say it's one of the best presents I have ever had. It's not just the ease with which I can have coffee on tap, I am now a fully signed up member of the Nespresso Club, and you have no idea how much pleasure that brings.

Yesterday I took delivery of £200 worth of coffee capsules, ordered online and delivered (within two days) to my door. There are numerous blends to choose from (which is part of the fun) and I am gradually trying them all (which is even more fun). Some I have rejected (too weak for my taste), others I have ordered again (and again).

Current favourite is Arpeggio (which sounds like a character from The Aristocats). It comes in an attractive purple capsule and is rated 9/10 for strength. (If it's late at night, and I don't want my hands shaking uncontrollably into the early hours, I'll select Decaffeinato Intenso, but in general I prefer the real, caffeinated, deal.)

The Nespresso website - which features a short film starring "brand hero" George Clooney - is a triumph of feelgood marketing. Play it with the volume up and it's almost pornographic. "Rich, sensual, intense, unique ... The hero, of course, is Nespresso ... What else?"

According to its Wikipedia entry, "Criticisms have been raised regarding the ecological implications of Nespresso and the freedom it gives the consumer over their coffee". What a load of tosh. The Magimix Nespresso M200 makes perfect coffee time after time. Buy one today!

Shades of Gray

Interesting interview with playwright Simon Gray, author of The Smoking Diaries (left), in today's Guardian. Gray is a close personal friend of fellow playwright (and Oscar-winning screenwriter) Ronald Harwood. Ronnie, a member of Forest's Supporters Council, is a fierce critic of public smoking bans.  
His friend, it would seem, is ambivalent, which demonstrates that, even among smokers, there is more than one point of view. Here's a taster:

[Gray] finds it odd that he has become a poster boy for cigarettes. True, he has puffed in the face of adversity, but he never championed smoking. "It's thought that I'm a great defender of smoking, but I'm not. I mostly hate it. It's vile and destructive." He pauses, wondering whether he's being too harsh. "It's given me pleasure, one has to be fair, and on occasion I think it's saved my life." How? "There have been times when I have felt you're never alone with a cigarette. Sometimes when you're desperate or depressed a cigarette is invaluable. But I'd much rather not have smoked."

Nowadays, he says, he hasn't the energy to smoke 65 a day. He complains that modern film actors don't know how to smoke properly. For Gray, smoking is an art, an occupation and a curse. He hates the smoking ban in principle, but is grateful for it in practice: "When I'm in a restaurant it means for two to three hours I don't smoke. I'm quite pleased about that."

Full interview HERE.