Holyrood's smoking conference
Thursday, September 24, 2009 
Yesterday's conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh was very different to our 'Politics and Prohibition' meeting in Bournemouth (no live music for a start).
Organised by Holyrood magazine, I wrote about it HERE in July. My fear then was that it was going to be hopelessly biased towards those who want further tobacco controls. In the event, possibly as a result of our concerns, the organisers did a pretty good job of representing all sides of the debate.
Anti-tobacco speakers included Shona Robison MSP, minister for public health; Sheila Duffy, chief executive of ASH Scotland; Dr Laurence Gruer OBE, director of public health science, NHS Health Scotland; and Eamonn Rossi, chief executive of the Office of Tobacco Control in Ireland.
On the other side, however, we had John Drummond of the Scottish Grocers Federation; David McLetchie MSP, former leader of the Scottish Conservatives; and Patrick Basham of the Democracy Institute.
The result was an event that was far more balanced than anyone could have expected. (Credit here to broadcaster Mark Stephens who was chairing the event.)
That's the positive spin on proceedings. The bad news is, on the eve of today's debate in the Scottish Parliament on the Tobacco & Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill, only three MSPs bothered to turn up. Exclude Robison and McLetchie, who were speaking, and the number of MSPs present can be counted on one finger.
Robison's performance was pathetic: she arrived, lectured the audience, answered three or four questions, and left. Like Duffy and Gruer before her, she was unable to provide any evidence that banning the display of tobacco will reduce youth smoking rates. (Scotland, we were repeatedly told, is a "pioneer" in tobacco control. Evidence, it seems, no longer matters.)
Why did this event take place so late in the legislative process? Politicians were not the only ones conspicuous by their absence. Journalists were too. Twelve months ago a conference like this could have helped shape the political agenda.
Truth is, for all the good intentions of the organisers, Holyrood's Smoking Conference was too little too late.
Simon Clark
Having flown to Edinburgh from Bournemouth at the crack of dawn yesterday, I am flying back to Bournemouth tonight to collect my car which is sitting in a hotel car park (unless someone has 'borrowed' it - you know who you are). Fingers crossed, I should be home in Cambridgeshire by, oh, 2.00am.
Reader Comments (7)
The 'conference' sounds as cheerless as the country that hosted it.
I believe it was Caledonia's Favourite Poet (if not her only one) - Wee Rabbie Burns - who once wrote:
"Gars auld claes look amaist as weel's the new."
I, for one, find that hard to argue with.
Whatever it means.........
You're going home? Slacker. ;-)
It must have been mentally painful to travel all that way for little or nothing.
Was the conference supposed to be in the nature of a public consultation?
BA (Calcutta) (Failed) springs to mind.
The 'conference' sounds as cheerless as the country that hosted it.
My dear fellow please do not judge my country on the 'cheerless' lot who organised and hosted this so-called conference.
MarieC -
Please forgive me !
Of course it's absurd to tar all members of that brave, inventive race with the same brush (as I've said many times before).
What saddens ME as an Englishman - and a defiant supporter of the Union, however - is the mean-spirited, English-hating, defensive provincialism into which SO many of our northern friends have apparently allowed themselves to be seduced.
The resolute refusal by many to fly the Union flag, Mr Salmond's absurd notion of 'Independence WITHIN the European Union' (gimme strength !), and frequent references to our 'English' Queen (when WE had to put up with the Raleigh-murdering James VI) are but three examples of this strange affliction.
How this sort of nonsense must cheer the shades of Mr Monet and the other cryto-fascist architects of our wonderful EUROPEAN Union (of which I am the mortal enemy) !
It's time, frankly, to put John Knox back in his box - and KEEP him there.
Or - to put it another way:
Billy Connolly - yes, please !
Liam Donaldson - no, thanks !
Talking of Liam Donaldson, the 'squalene' laden swine flu vaccine is now awaiting our bodies.
The same sheep will be lining up to take this poison, as quickly as they can get it, while proliferating about the dangers of smoking. Big Pharm.are having a winfall at the moment, and how long before they demand compulsory, mass abuse of a population, through the propaganda of fear, as always.
Minister Misleads Parliament and Should Resign
http://www.prlog.org/10354840-minister-misleads-parliament-and-should-resign.html