A true liberal

I frequently despair of Liberal Democrats who - in word and deed - abuse the right to call themselves 'liberal'. Thankfully there is at least one member of the party who is true to the name. Lembit Opik (left), Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, has added his voice to those who oppose the introduction of smoking bans in all enclosed public places. Yesterday he gave the following quote to Forest for a press release about the forthcoming ban in Wales: "In a liberal society you have to be careful about what you ban. I don't smoke, and nor do I intend to, but I'm uneasy about a blanket ban because it sets a dangerous precedent about the reach of the state." Thanks, Lembit, for having the guts to stand up and be counted.

Update on Saturday, March 31, 2007 by Simon Clark

The artistic director of the Wales Theatre Company is allegedly miffed that the Welsh Assembly has banned actors from lighting up on stage. (In England, film and theatre stages are exempt if prohibition conflicts with the "artistic integrity" of the performance.) The South Wales Echo reports that, "Despite being a vociferous anti-smoking campaigner, Michael Bogdanov said he would rather his actors be able to smoke."

So, let me get this right. Bogdanov is a "vociferous anti-smoking campaigner" but he's less happy when the ban directly affects HIM. They just don't get it, do they? If you currently support a ban on smoking in ALL public places you are effectively supporting a ban everywhere else, including stage, car and home, because that's where this level of intolerance is leading us.

You also risk increasing restrictions on our eating and drinking habits, our ability to travel when and where we want and a host of other freedoms because, if we don't stop these assaults on our liberties now, we will all be steamrollered by an unstoppable bandwagon otherwise known as the nanny state. Are you listening, Michael Bogdanov?

Measured response to personal tragedy

How heart-warming it was to read, in today's Telegraph, that the parents of a 24-year-old man "unlawfully killed" by carbon monoxide poisoning have no plans to sue the hotel where he was staying or take further action over their son's death. According to Howard Tomlinson, father of Edward who died while on a gap year in Lebanon, "Clearly we are extremely saddened by Ed's death. But we are not angry and we have no personal vendettas. We hope that as a result of this verdict there will be a tightening of safety practices in hotels to stop this terrible tragedy happening again. We also hope that all travellers will be better warned, both by travel agents and hotel owners, about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning."

I have no idea how I would react if my own son died in such circumstances, but in an era when people are actively encouraged to seek retribution (financial or otherwise), I admire Mr Tomlinson's measured response to such a personal tragedy. I am not defending those who are guilty of "gross neglect" or wilful criminal behaviour, but accidents happen and sometimes we have to accept what has occurred, learn from it and move on without playing the blame game and putting even more money into the hands of m'learned friends.

Game for a laugh

Last night I was a guest on 18 Doughty Street, the fledgling internet TV channel. This was my fourth appearance and - thank goodness - there was an item about smoking bans. On previous occasions I have been asked to discuss more than one subject I know little or nothing about.  (Child benefit and tax relief for married couples comes to mind.)  One of the weaknesses of Vox Politics, broadcast from 10.00pm, Monday-Friday, is that guests are booked sometimes weeks in advance. We are then asked to comment on the issues of the day, regardless of our 'expertise'. Last night, for example, Middle East politics raised its ugly head. Where was the informed academic when we needed him (or her!)? The End Of The Day show, which follows at 11.00pm, is even more relaxed. Take, for example, my appearance in January when THIS happened. Very unprofessional.

Cigarettes, whisky and all that jazz

I met Alan Plater last night. Plater is one of our most successful film and TV screenwriters. His credits include Z Cars, Softly Softly, The Beiderbecke Tapes, A Very British Coup, Fortunes of War and The Last of the Blonde Bombshells.  We met at Boisdale in Belgravia where the Boisdale Blue Rhythm Band - who performed at The Free Society's launch party last year - were recording the last of 17 tracks for an exclusive Boisdale/Forest CD to be called Don't Do That!. Tracks include 'Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette',  'Cigarettes and Silhouettes', 'Cigarettes, Whisky and Wild Wild Women' and 'The Last Smoker'. 

First track on the album is a new song, 'I'm Going Outside', with lyrics by - Alan Plater. In Orkney recently, he and his wife Shirley Rubinstein - both heavy smokers - found themselves out in the cold every time they wanted to light up. "I'm 71, it's minus four degrees, and I'm going outside!" He laughs at the absurdity of it all but has strong words for the government's anti-smoking crusade which he describes as "hypocritical", "puritannical" and "sanctimonious". Don't Do That! featuring 'I'm Going Outside' will be released in May. Watch this space.

Scotland: crying out for freedom

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.

Welcome to Taking Liberties

Welcome to Taking Liberties, an oasis for those who believe in less not more government intrusion into our daily lives. Taking Liberties is sub-titled 'The Free Society blog'. For those who missed our launch party last year, The Free Society is an offshoot of Forest, the smokers' lobby group. Founded in 1979 by a former Battle of Britain fighter pilot, Forest defends those who choose to smoke tobacco and don't expect to be vilified for consuming a legal product that generates billions of pounds for the Treasury.

The Free Society will take that campaign one stage further. We will demonstrate that attempts to ostracise smokers are part of a much bigger picture in which politicians, campaigners and public officials are slowly eroding our civil liberties with laws and regulations that are out of all proportion to the problems they seek to tackle. Today tobacco, tomorrow food and drink. And motoring. Free speech, too, is under threat, with politicians and scientists telling us there is "no debate" about passive smoking or global warming when, clearly, there is.

There are two reasons for naming the blog Taking Liberties. First, I am genuinely concerned that freedoms we have taken for granted are slowly being taken from us without proper debate. Second, I want to make this blog as entertaining as possible and if that means taking liberties in a more colloquial sense, so be it. Feedback is positively encouraged so feel free to comment on anything that appears here. It's going to be an interesting journey so welcome aboard and enjoy the ride.