Minister refuses to meet the man from Forest
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 
Sometimes you've just got to laugh.
Last night, two weeks after it was confirmed that pubs minister John Healey would meet two MPs - Greg Knight and David Clelland - and me to discuss our campaign to amend the smoking ban, Healey's office got cold feet and decided that I couldn't attend today's meeting after all.
I was informed by text at 7:30, just as Coronation Street was about to start.
I don't know whether it was the piece in the Morning Advertiser (original headline: Anti-smoke ban campaigners to meet Healey) or the 120+ comments on this blog that frightened them off, but the result is that I have been barred from attending a meeting that I suggested to discuss a campaign that I organise!!
You couldn't make it up.
I am told that Healey's office is "very apologetic" about the confusion. Funny that, because I have in front of me a letter that states very clearly that the MPs will be accompanied by "campaign organiser Simon Clark". In fact, until last night there was never any suggestion that my presence would be a problem.
Frankly, their protestations that the minister only meets fellow MPs doesn't hold water. And nor should it. HERE, for example, is another minister, Peter Mandelson, meeting representatives of the Fair Pint campaign last week. Now that wasn't so difficult, was it?
The good news is that the meeting goes ahead with Greg and David representing the Save Our Pubs and Clubs campaign. Report and photo to follow.
Above: Greg Knight, yours truly and others (including Antony Worrall Thompson) at the launch of the Save Our Pubs and Clubs campaign last year.
Now there's a thought: do you think Healey would have refused to meet AWT because he's not an MP either?
Reader Comments (59)
"I am told that Healey's office is "very apologetic" about the confusion"
Confusion? What confusion?? What could be confusing about a pre arranged meeting to discuss a pre-arranged topic with elected MP's??
Now I'm confused.
If you enjoy puzzles, vote Labour, the party of confusion.
New labour is finished should we not now be confronting the other parties for ammendments now?
After all the ammendment is due after the election.
Healey did not prevent the meeting with Simon. He's too dumb for that. Of course he was instructed, by some health geek!. Let's think who? Flint... no she's gone (and mighty glad too), Hewitt... nope she's gone also. The biggest pratt of all who never once answer my communications, Johnson? Couldn't have been that plonker as he can't communicate. Got it! ASH. The MP ruling this government when it comes to smoking!
I agree Loosebruce - this government is run by fanatics, as far as smoking is concerned - fanatics who just love the money and the funding that they can reep from their BP paymasters - as long as they keep them sweet.
The corruption within the anti-smoking lobby stinks and will no doubt shortly explode. The sooner, the better as far as I'm concerned.
Any state/government that bows to the whims of highly financed fanatics has to have a large question mark against it.
How come they met with Jamie Oliver then?
a woman i know was told off by a doctor in hospital because she smoked.after about 2 hours.she left and desperate for a fag.went into the smoking shelter to have a fag.
guess what. the same doctor walked into the shelter and started smoking a fag.he would not even look at the woman who he had told off.what a bloody hypocrite. brainwashed by the nhs, and the goverment. my vote is still going to the bnp.
Dear Simon,
I read (I think on this web site) that only 25% of Conservative MPs voted for the smoking ban. Given the Labour Party's utter contempt for you, for us, for the campaign, and for freedom in general, is it not time that we talk much more with the Conservative Party?
Not only have they traditionally been the party of personal freedom, but also of business, and it seems likely to me, that they are going to form our next government.
This abominable law is under review in the very year that they will take office. Given their voting record on the issue, attempting to win the Conservatives over to our cause is our best (and possibly last) chance to have the ban amended or even repealed.
Surely the Conservatives would love the chance of getting 15 million votes in the bag? Especially as a lot of them would be former Labour heartland voters! The Conservatives should make a repeal or serious amendment of the ban into a major plank of their central platform.
Yours sincerely,
Marcus J. Swift.
Definatly never voting Labour again, why would anyone want to vote for a party that is trying to set up a sham consultation, its internationally known that the smoking ban is the main cause of pub closures.
Just listen to you all -- get over it! Smoking has had its day, it is no longer socially acceptable, nobody HAS to smoke, and it will probably kill 1/3rd of you all.
As for "my vote is still going to the bnp" (billc) -- splendid company you keep on this forum, eh?