Scotland: crying out for freedom
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 Yesterday I was in Edinburgh for the first anniversary of the Scottish smoking ban which has been hailed a “huge success”. This, despite the fact that many bingo halls are in freefall, a number of working men’s clubs are in trouble, publicans are having to sack bar staff, and – according to a recent Populus poll for Forest - a huge majority support exemptions to the ban. Oh, and the smoking rates have dropped by 1.5% (from 26% to 24.5%), largely in line with the existing year on year trend. Some success!
Early in the day I joined Brian Monteith MSP (pictured above left), Neil Rafferty (Forest’s Scottish spokesman) and others for a photocall outside the Scottish Parliament. For one shot the photographer asked us to stand in the middle of an ornamental pond, water lapping over our shoes. He then asked us to light up, inhale, count to three, and exhale in unison. (It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it.)
Last night Brian and I met up again for dinner. We first met many years ago when we were students in Scotland, editing student magazines at our respective universities. Years later we shared an office in Edinburgh and it was Brian who was responsible for my applying for and being appointed director of Forest.
After an eventful year, Brian is not seeking re-election to the Scottish Parliament in May. In fact, this is his last full week as an MSP. So, after eight years as a member, how does he view today’s Parliament? “Self-indulgent, self-delusional, self-satisfied,” he tells me between mouthfuls of Albarino.
“Since devolution Scotland is a lot less free. It's exactly what Friedrich Hayek warned against in The Road To Serfdom. That is, social democracy: removing individual liberties one by one, democratically, in the name of the people rather than stormtroopers goose-stepping into your living-room. First they came for the fox hunters, and the urban public cheered. Then they came for the smokers, and the killjoys laughed. Soon they will be coming for the leisurely drinkers and after that the comfortably overweight.”
He will miss the cut and thrust of debate in the chamber but has no regrets and to kick start his new career outside Holyrood he has written his first book, Paying The Piper, which I shall review after it is published on April 1st. He will also be playing a significant role in The Free Society. A former spokesman for Forest in Scotland, Brian’s political antenna remain firmly libertarian, a far cry from the paternalistic (or Presbyterian) tendencies of many Conservatives north and south of the border. We haven’t heard the last of him.
Reader Comments (3)
Simon,
You forgot to mention how the restaurant's clock was wrong - because they had not put it forward at the weekend - and how I therefore nearly missed my assignation with Newsnight - where I was due to go on live and was almost embarrassingly late. With no taxis available I had to hobble down the road with my gammy leg (thanks to a recent fives football injury) at a fair rate of knots. I must have looked a good shade of beetroot as I tried to regain my composure.
I trust Brian enjoyed reading this first instalment of his obituary. I certainly did. As Simon pointed out, we have not, of course, heard the last of him. Anybody wishing to read Brian's regular "Shock Jock" column in Freedom Today can do so at http://www.tfa.net/freed.htm/
I'm just glad that the health minister thinks that since the smoking ban, that Scotland has become a healthier nation. Tell that to the kids who are now exposed to a lot more smoke and alcohol in the home due to parents preferring to smoke at home in comfort, than be tossed out into the street in all weathers to enjoy their *LEGAL* habit.
Of course, why didn't the powers that be, make tobacco *ILLEGAL* ?? Instead of taking away another of our human rights......I'll tell you why..........the treasury wants and needs the revenue that us smokers bring in. I don't ever hear them complaining about that......I wonder why ??
Why was MORE not done to at least, have exceptions to this smoking ban ?? As usual we lay belly up and let a bunch of overpaid, underworked jobsworths at Holyrood (oops Hollyrood) dictate how we should or should not run our lives. Ohhhh and just incase those reading this are NOT aware........the staff and cretins at Hollyrood HAVE indeed got a smoking room.......and it's NOT out in the street !!
we can only hope there is a revolt in England when the ban comes to them, if changes are forced there........Scotland will be oblidged to follow suit and implement them here. Talking of England, I heard through the grapevine, that non food pubs and clubs etc were being given until Xmas to enforce the ban !!! More than what we got.
Well I'll close here, and go off and have a ciggie in the enclosed non-public space of my house.
PS: Like New York etc......Good luck to those who already run illegal smoking dens, I just wish I knew where they were hahahaha. Also more buses should run a service over the border for pub going smoking punters. I'd be on it every weekend !! (until July hahaha)
PPS: A note to NON-SMOKERS....you wanted us smokers out of your local pubs, so don't think in the nice hot summer weather, that you lot will be taking up all the space in the beer gardens, because you won't. We'll all be out there puffing away and getting a nice sun tan, you lot can stay and sweat in your nice smoke free pubs !!! Enjoy !!!