Open for business

6.00am The Freedom Zone opens in a couple of hours with the first event at 10.00pm. Before that I have to do a couple of interviews on BBC local radio about graphic images. I don't have access to a landline in my hotel room, my mobile has run out of juice, so I shall have to do the interviews in my car (which is half a mile from the hotel in a public car park) with the mobile plugged into the cigarette lighter. Glamorous, eh?

I got up early to write a (short) speech for this afternoon's Manifesto Club/Free Society meeting, "You Can't Do That! The Anti-Social Regulation of Public Space". Needless to say I'll be talking about the smoking ban and proposals to extend the ban to public parks and town centres. I'll talk about the social and economic impact of these regulations and the pettiness of what passes for public policy these days.

PS. Iain Dale writes on his blog: "Anyone in Birmingham, don't forget the Freedom Zone fringe at 12.30pm where I'll be interviewing David Davis, followed at 2.30 by the blogging fringe with Guido, Nadine, Dizzy and the Devil. I don't drink, but if you see me in a bar later on tomorrow afternoon you'll understand why I might need a double vodka ..."

Comments

[chas]

Simon. Tell them that we have reached health warning fatigue. We see health warnings everywhere on a daily basis and we now ignore them.

[Chris F J Cyrnik]

Simon, please try and insert the word 'persecution', from time to time.
I'm sure this will have some impact.