Comments

Margot Johnson (Thu Mar 20, 01:09 PM)

Dear Simon Braveheart,

Wow! Right to the crux of the matter. Right to the heart of European government. If ever proof were needed of closed doors world-wide commercial domination by pharmaceutical big business, this is it.

Well done. Well and calmly reported.

MJ

Margot Johnson (Thu Mar 20, 05:11 PM)

I urge everyone reading this to go to Simon’s own site, “Taking Liberties”,and see some of the superb comments written there.

David J. Anderson (Thu Mar 20, 05:26 PM)

Nice one, Simon. At least some were prepared to give you a fair hearing. For what it’s worth, there seems to be a growing consensus that the smoking ban in pubs is intended to kill them, not to save the lives of their staff. Give ‘em hell, and pray for a sceptical government.

Joan (Thu Mar 20, 05:58 PM)

I am getting increasingly annoyed by the number of hotels which now do not offer rooms for smokers. It is inconvenient, if I feel a nocturnal craving for a cigarette, to have to puff away in the bathroom! This goes well beyond “protecting” non-smokers, yet we, who pay the tax, are the ones stigmatised! I am glad you sttod up for your rights at that meeting!

Dr Phil Button (Thu Mar 20, 06:12 PM)

Well done and thanks for representing us Simon. This is real evidence of organised antis witnessed first hand.

Sigrid H. (Thu Mar 20, 06:45 PM)

Simon, thanks for sharing your experience with hypocrisy at its utmost!
Where are our MINORITY RIGHTS? Other minorities, be they religious or ethnic or otherwise oddball, are being catered to with rights and privileges. Obligations are rarely stipulated for these groups. Why can’t smokers claim their space within what they call a democratic society?
I simply don’t understand how the bulk of citizens is willingly being herded – like mindless, or rather spineless, creatures – into their own oblivion.

Lori (Thu Mar 20, 08:00 PM)

Simon, WAY TO GO !!!! You were GREAT! Thank You so much for standing up for smokers every where, even here in the USA!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

Tony Collins (Thu Mar 20, 08:10 PM)

It beggars belief that an epidemiologist of all people should have the effrontery to ask for an apology.
Epidemiology is the prostitute of medical science; prepared to come up with whatever result you’re willing to pay for, and to bury any contra results.
Thanks for being there Simon.

mandyv (Thu Mar 20, 08:11 PM)

Thank you Simon, for standing your ground and saying your piece, best of all not bowing down and apologising for NOT lying. It is quite obvious Big Pharmas are running the show, but I am sure we all knew that anyway. Thank you also for letting us all know what happened.
I will not bother thanking the spineless, hospitality spokesperson. Yes the customers are fighting harder than the majority of them, it is a shame the ones with any guts could not have been there. I know they would not have stayed silient.

Terry Garrington (Thu Mar 20, 08:30 PM)

The behind closed doors thing,makes me think,that we need to take ,different,if not stronger steps,to restore our civil/human rights ,to the once law abiding and working class minorities in this once Great nation of ours (or is it theirs)..This cant go on..!!!

Carole (Thu Mar 20, 08:41 PM)

Well Done Simon!!
Whatever happened to the art of discussion – if both sides of an argument are not going to be represented, then why are these idiots allowed to conduct these meetings at the taxpayers expense??
Kudos to you for standing your ground

Mark Maunder (Thu Mar 20, 09:13 PM)

I wish I could have been there Simon. I have been visiting this website for a year now but never taken part in anything. I am living in a bubble of anger and want it to explode. Is there not enough smokers in the UK to protest?

maria lloyd (Thu Mar 20, 09:27 PM)

I wish I had been there. Thank you Simon, Much appreciated. M Lloyd

Martin V (Thu Mar 20, 09:52 PM)

Beautiful, Simon….....................!!!

I’d just LOVE to know what Prime-Minister-In-Waiting David Cameron’s response would be, but he’s probably too bedazzled by his current ‘poll lead’ (‘4 out of 5 voters prefer Bambi to Vlad Dracula’) to worry overmuch about the implications: I mean, all this talk about Freedom, Democracy, Openness etc – it’s SO Last-Century…..............

Don’t forget to share this one with Christopher Booker (he’ll cherish it) !

Greg Burrows (Thu Mar 20, 09:53 PM)

Thank you Simon for attending, having read the paper I find it quite unbelievable that they can propose any smoking bans when the mean average of their studies is about RR (Realative Risk) 1.5 or less, when an RR of 3 is required for the BMJ to publish findings, no ethical epidemiologist would back these findings, it is downright fraud by misinformation. Link to the paper below
http://www.data-yard.net/10m3/eu_stakeholder.pdf

Keith Masden (Thu Mar 20, 10:00 PM)

Well done. Britains needs more people with courage. Stand up to these pathetic individuals. Carolyn Flint a good example.

NoBanJan (Thu Mar 20, 11:24 PM)

I am so angry about what happened to Simon. We are trying to play things “too fairly” which is obviously getting us nowhere. I have come to the conclusion that the only thing for us to do is DEFY THIS BAN!!

Kathleen Nye (Thu Mar 20, 11:34 PM)

Hi,
I am a british expat living in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, unrecognised by the rest of the world for the last 30 years. Paradise! This is a smokers’ country, Ashtrays provided in every bar & restaurant.
I Will never. ever. return to UK. even for a visit until I hear they understand that Smoking Clubs are as acceptible as health clubs, gambling clubs,casinos etc,
Also, it’s OK for ‘celebs’ to repeatedly go into ‘rehab’ for use of illegal drugs – withour criminalcharges,

sue peachey (Thu Mar 20, 11:39 PM)

Thank you Simon, for attending and standing up for us smokers. Way to go !!!!!!!!!!!

Ian Crofts (Fri Mar 21, 12:29 AM)

This beggars belief, but shows how arrogant the recent success has made the anti smoking lobby and their benefactors. We have to stand up to these people, and one way is at the ballot box. We currently have a window of opportunity (which we must not miss) and need a centrally coordinated massive campaign in place for the local council elections in Britain in May which is simple and easy to enact. NO SMOKE – NO VOTE. If we could only get 50% of smokers (5million) to register their displeasure this would decimate labour local councillors and put the writing on the wall for all parties come the next general election. Smokers could also determine the outcome of the London Mayoral elections. We need a group with the media clout of Forest to set this up. In the time available there’s no other group that could do it. We will make NO DIFFERENCE individually – all smokers must unite on this one, and do it quickly.

Col Dee (Fri Mar 21, 01:32 AM)

These kinds of “conferences”, if successful on the smoking issue, will become the template for all “decision-making” in the future. And to know just how one-sided and fanatical they are, is just sickening. It really is the age of the witchfinder.

We need to get out of Europe, stop trying to please other people, and remind ourselves that this country used to rule the world. Only a guilt-ridden, self-hating society would succumb to what is happening now.

Our heritage, culture and country are being destroyed by corporations in league with governments (including non-British governments). Britain needs to fight back otherwise we face a future of control, surveillance, lack of identity, political ultra-correctness, and ever increasing blandness.

So I’ll be voting UKIP. Apart from anything else, they’re the only party who have pledged to scrap the smoking ban. And they’d get us out of Europe so we would avoid the inevitable Europe-wide smoking ban.

Of course I realise UKIP will not get in, but Labour need to be decimated.

The government need to be scared of the public again. That’s the only sane way to live. Otherwise, what do we get? Secret meetings where the public’s mind is made up for them by unelected busybodies employed by our government to dream up new ways of destroying our identity and taking our money?!

David Dent (Fri Mar 21, 06:02 AM)

The worse thing is this unappreciative fascist scum is paid by the taxes we pay in tobacco duty.

No taxation without representation was once a cue for war.

You gave it a go Simon .

Now forget it its war.

Plaese forget talking to them and someone arrange starting to actually fight them…with violence if ncessary cos I for one have had a gutsful of smoking bans hunting bans the lot.

Iain Dale's Rabbit (Fri Mar 21, 07:09 AM)

So those people who objected to your presence shouldn’t have been allowed to express their view? Sounds to me as if it’s you who is against democracy in action.

j a sutherland (Fri Mar 21, 11:42 AM)

The antis suffer from a mixture of schadenfreude, pleasure in the exertion of power, and a feeling of superiority.

Tich (Fri Mar 21, 12:17 PM)

Well done Simon – if I were you I would submit the article to every newspaper and media source in the land and see how many have the guts to print it

Tim Pedder (Fri Mar 21, 12:20 PM)

We need to get organised & start fighting back with meaningful action. That means meetings, planning & ACTION. The fascists always rely on the silent majority staying silent. They don’t expect many to have the guts & staying power to give them a hard fight. If we don’t do it now that’s only going to be proved correct. Don’t let the bastards win because we couldn’t be bothered.

Margot Johnson (Fri Mar 21, 12:45 PM)

Would all those in the Folkestone/Dover area care to contact me? We’ll have a meeting and see what we can do about the May elections. Have we the permission of this website to call it a “Free Society” meeting?

Would people in other regions be prepared to put their heads above the parapet in this way?

margotjohnson@talktalk.net

Simon (Fri Mar 21, 01:33 PM)

If you invite yourself to a meeting the purpose of which is to discuss how to reduce smoking, and your raison d’etre (don’t be frightened, it’s a French phrase) is to oppose the purpose of the meeting, then being told to go away is not exactly surprising. You fail to say whose meeting it was – perhaps because this would undermine your role as “victim”.

Simon Clark (Fri Mar 21, 03:15 PM)

Hello “Simon” (I notice you posted the same comment on Iain Dale’s blog under the name “Anonymous”). My reply here is the same as it is there:

The meeting was organised by the European Commission’s Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General. Officially it was called a “consultation meeting with EU experts, civil society and social partners on an impact assessment on smoke-free environments”. Informally, it was described as a “stakeholder consultation on Commission’s smoke-free initiative”.

Forest was not originally invited, but that doesn’t mean to say we shouldn’t have been there. (I don’t know about you, but I would have thought that the consumer is a fairly obvious stakeholder in such a discussion.)

When we queried why we had not been invited (bearing in mind that, last year, we contributed to the EU Green Paper consultation on the subject), we received, from the Health & Consumer Protection DG, the following email: “Please accept my apologies for this oversight. You will find enclosed the background document and the agenda of the meeting. Could you kindly confirm who will represent Forest at the meeting?”

I think that’s an invitation. Don’t you?

If you still want to say I invited myself, so be it. Personally, I don’t see a problem. If Forest was to sit around waiting for “invitations” to do this or that our voice would rarely if ever be heard. In short, we wouldn’t be doing our job. Is that what you want? (I think we know the answer.)

Spiros (Fri Mar 21, 03:53 PM)

Hmm, a bunch of pharma people at a smoke-free meeting. I wonder why?

It’s pathetic how the anti-smoking brigade has been so thoroughly exploited by Big Pharma, pushing through smoke-free everything just to rack up sales of nicorette gums, patches and other forms of nicotine.

Behind every well-intentioned movement, there is almost always some big business pulling the strings. Depressing…

Dave Atherton (Fri Mar 21, 07:07 PM)

Simon Anonymous: I think that the EU’s 125 million+ smokers have a substantial say in what goes on. It is not democracy to exclude people because you do not happen to agree with them. The political word for it is fascism.

TIM TEGGIN (Fri Mar 21, 09:14 PM)

The government of this country stated that there where onlly 14 million smokers in the UK out of the total population, RUBBISH, They collect their figures from the amount of tobacco sales, not a good idea, as I for one haven’t bought cigs in this country for last four years due to the amount of tax on them. I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one who refuses to hand over my hard earned dosh to these facists.

As for this bloody ban, its time we all got together and sent a message to these idiots that think they run this country, they dont, the voters do and its time to let them know it. I’m not asking for the whole pub or restaurant, just a room inside. I live on an island situated in the North Atlantic, and its bloody cold. Keep up the fight Simon, and if I can help in any way just call

David Dent (Fri Mar 21, 10:08 PM)

If we really want a free society we have to do as Margot and Tim suggest and organise.
We have to do this by uniting with other groups whose rights have been oppressed and I am very happy to see the countryside Alliance link on your home page.
They managed to put 450 000 people on the street outside parliament and I would like to see what a broader liberty movement could achieve.
Personally, as many people there suggested, I feel that Parliament should have been stormed, and I feel a little ashamed it was left to just Otis Ferry and a few other young people. Fathers for justice and the lorry drivers have also shown what direct action can achieve.
There are millions of us smokers and united we are strong. We need to build a strong Libertarian movement.
All we have to do is respect each other’s claims to live free of interference by the state.

One of the worst laws ever passed in this country just affected a few people so nobody did anything. When they banned mink farming in the “Interests of public morality” that set a fantastically dangerous precedent.
They can ban abortion, gay rights, smoking altogther, halal, anything on such grounds in the future.

Anyway they have banned hunting and that has the countryside in fury and there are two million that affected; all now politicised and ready to fight. Smokers now need to organise and fight alongside them.

I would tentatively suggest that the free society organise a petition and a charter to restore such rights and canvas heavily, hassle mps and media, and organise alongside MPs from any party who oppose these bans at elections.

The Hunts and pro smoking groups like pub landlords helped David Davies regain control in monmouthshire and it can happen anywhere.

Firstly we need to mobilise smokers and stop them feeling isolated, that they should quit and ashamed of their pleasure. I have managed to do that on a small scale and either bars who cater for smokers, and things like myspace can help.
Mine is www.myspace.com/davedent

We can aslo pledge to fight bullshit on the net or in the press wherever we see it by lobby groups such as the anti smoking movement or animal rights groups. Their propaganda can be shot to shreds but nobody bothers to do it and then they gain political strength by their claims bcause many MPs are just plain thick or seek donations. PAL/IFAW for example bribed the Labour government with a million pounds backhander and they bribe the press with ad revenue too so people think they are respectable. Yet they have been involved in snuff movies and also are forbidden to join the World Conservation Union as they are regarded as nuts.
Similarly the anti smoking lobby has gained a credibility it does not deserve with outrageous claims…often the result of pharmacutical company “research” so they can sell smokers zyban and meanwhile secretly work on controllling nicotine as a “wonder drug” while publicly demonising it. meanwhie the press say nothing because the NHS and government and drug companies stuff their coffers with money on advrtisements.

Enstein (Sat Mar 22, 01:32 AM)

simon you at forrest have failed miserable YOU HAVE TRIED to please these bullies.From the introduction of the smoking ban I have started to educate myself on the dangers of smoking.I have learned,there may be a risk,But it has never been demonstrated scientifically that smoking has killed anybody.This may seem a silly thing to say but after reading some of the court cases I realised we have only heard the case for the prosecution in the media.

Simon,with respect,the thing that is coming next is a car ban with children present.Find a pretext to get them in to court and prove their case.Forest is the only people who can afford it.In a war to know where the enemy is going to strike next is an advantage.For Godsake use it.

Greg Burrows (Sat Mar 22, 04:07 AM)

Misinformation, and lies this is social engineering on a grand UK and EU dictate.

Peter Thurgood (Tue Mar 25, 02:57 PM)

Just 7,500 smoking voters can wipe out Labour’s Commons majority

I have just added the following article to my website. Please check it out on http://www.thesmokermagazine.co.uk/ and follow link

There are just 5 short weeks to go to get our message accross.

Gordon Brown has started his campaign, we need to start ours, NOW!

Bob Bridge (Tue Mar 25, 05:06 PM)

I agree with David Dent, we need to mobilise with enough people such that we cannot be ignored, the UK is on a slippery slope and one day when all of our freedoms have been insidiously eroded the people will wake up and realise that they have become just like hamsters running endlessly on the wheel that is the economy with nothing to do and no where to go except work and home.

We can slowly see the same thing happening to alcohol that happened to smoking, but not many people seem to actually recognise the signs.

We need to start a new political party ” The Libertarian party” and then we can really galvanise into action by standing in the general election in 2010 and winning some seats. we will then at least be able to smoke in the house of commons bar, a fact that not many people are aware of these people have kept the right to smoke in their own club while we have no rights at all.

I firmly believe that the time has come to let MP’s know once and for all that they are elected as our servants not our masters! We should form the new party and give people a reason to re engage with the process of democracy give them hope for real and genuine change in politics by telling the truth and not ducking the questions, if anyone out there is up for it send me an email we can start the ball rolling!!! Thanks Simon for having some balls and thanks David for your contribution

Margot Johnson (Wed Mar 26, 08:29 AM)

I suggest we all vote UKIP in the coming May council elections. They are the fourth largest party. This would show the big three anti smoking parties which way the wind is blowing. Learn more about the sensible Martinez on the www.freedom2choose.co.uk. Careful how you type it – others are copying the name.

I also recommend that all visit
www.thesmokermagazine,co.uk and read the feature on “Good Nicotine” to the left of their front page. This not only lists the benefits of nicotine but shows that Big Pharma are feverishly trying to produce drugs, using nicotine, to mirror these benefits. The plot thickens! No wonder they are trying to get rid of their enemy the humble cigarette.

Peter (Wed Mar 26, 11:26 AM)

As a result of hearing about the widely acclaimed European Union CIASFE 2008 research I worry that perhaps I should give up smoking:

Press Release

A successful meeting of the world’s leading specialists was held in Brussels recently to consider the impact on health of smoke-free environments.

A wide mix of respected experts, including representation from pro-smoking lobbies, came together to assess the major benefits of smoke-free environments and were able to establish, conclusively, that at least 138,000 lives will be saved in Europe each year as a result of the hugely popular anti-smoking legislation improvements. Interestingly it was shown that the improvements also have a major beneficial impact on global warming and can be proven, statistically, to reduce the incidence of terrorism throughout the community.

The meeting unanimously supported further strengthening of the legislation, including in particular the proposal to make smoking a criminal offence.

This meeting proved conclusively the benefits of smoke-free environments, based on undisputed scientific evidence. Strong evidence was provided by pharmaceutical and academic experts, supported by the Community’s health, business and leisure industry experts, to show the major benefits of lives saved by the recent legislation to restrict the deadly risks of passive smoking.

Notes for editors:

You may wish to refer to the fact that the study’s scientific research proved that 138,000 lives will be saved each year as a result of smoke-free environments. When quoting this scientific study we recommend you refer to the Commission’s Impact Assessment on smoke-free environments as the “widely acclaimed CIASFE 2008 study”.

Articles quoting benefits proved by the European Union CIASFE 2008 research will sound authoritative and the study can be referred to in future as unanimously accepted expert scientific research.

Repeated reference to this study will, in time, allow it to be added to the armoury of other high quality supporting research in the fight against the evils of smoking. What is said often enough becomes true.

Margot Johnson (Wed Mar 26, 12:44 PM)

M goodness, Peter, yes! This weighty document is so aurhoritative, it has almost made me go over to the other side and not only stop smoking but, as it suggests, quote it to other people to persuade them to stop smoking.

I’ll need to marshal all the facts together, of course, before I attempt such a campaign.and I’m not even sure I know what CIASFE means. I’ll need to know the date the meeting took place, of course. It just says “recently” in their press release. I’ll also need to be armed with the minutes of the meeting and the list of all those present, by name. I’d also need a copy of the minutes of the meeting.

They must have been very powerful knowledgeable people to have been able to establish, conclusively, such clear statistics. They were able to state the exact number of lives that would be saved and able to announce the very good news that their measures will reduce global warming – and even terrorist activity!

Bearing all this in mind, I can see why they put forward the proposal that future legislatin should make smoking a criminal offence.

I have no doubt that these very important delegates are accountable to the very highest authority as they seem to have it in their power to introduce new legislation for the whole of the European Union.

No doubt all of this will be made clearer to me when I can get hold of the minutes of the meeting, etc., which will show in detail the expert scientific research which was so unanimously accepted.

Well – this should change history, shouldn’t it!

Colin Grainger (Wed Mar 26, 01:12 PM)

“What is said often enough becomes true”.

This gave the game away. This last line indicates a) that even they don’t believe it and b) they need reinforcement from unthinking journalists with another set of big, fat lies.

Lying scum. Every last one of them.

john b russell (Wed Mar 26, 07:35 PM)

Going back to W.W.2 ( that was for freebom ) so we thought,/ at my age now,wont be long now,i will be going Top side. Thank God ,

Terry Garrington (Thu Mar 27, 04:24 AM)

I think we should re-invent Guy Fawkes!!!..,,we need a good clear out,,,,and,,restore the civil/human rights,,,freedom and liberties our Fathers and for-Fathers laid down their lives for….It`s not just Labour,who is responsible for the discriminating ,evil and Nazi style law,but,Westminister in it`s entirity,,from the elected to the unelected…It`s Parliment thats needs to be banned,,,,,or indeed ,,,dismantled…and lets start again….

Tom (Thu Mar 27, 11:58 PM)

I’m an ex 40+ a day smoker who gave up 12 years ago. I know I am in no danger of second hand smoke but it is nice to have a clean atmosphere in pubs now and no smelly clothes and watery eyes afterwards. I sympathise with the freedom of choice issue though – why not allow for separate smoking rooms. You don’t have to legislate to protect bar staff. As non smokers they’re in no serious health danger and could presumably volunteer, and be paid a bonus.

Liberty or Death (Sat Mar 29, 02:49 AM)

That’s interesting Tom. It brought to mind a phrase I often heard uttered by the older generation in my childhood years: “You should get danger money for that!”

Presumably, in more enlightened times where the objective was to inform people of risk and allow them to decide whether to take it or not, extra payment was given to those prepared to take on riskier jobs.

Of course, I don’t believe there is any risk in SHS, but if the powers-that-be are so convinced, why not reinstate the concept of ‘danger money’ instead of constantly reaching for the illogical and unnatainable ‘zero risk life’ that goes against the grain of the very nature of humankind?

I often ponder on the great achievements of humanity that would never have been possible if previous generations had been so terrified of tiny risks. Presumably we wouldn’t have been permitted to discover fire… as soon as the spark flew from the first flint-strike, Health and Safety would have leapt from the nearest cave and prohibited such activity.

Imagine that…

David Dent (Sat Mar 29, 03:37 AM)

okay we have some feeling coming together now lets get organised.
I feel the best people to do this are the free society org themswlves, with as much support from us as possible.

So may I suggest please:

1. Producing a charter, and taking it acoss to the countryside alliance, civil right groups, and other organisations can be approached too. This charter then acts as a petition. W march on it in a major demonstartion once we have campaigned on it for two year, shortly before the next general election. If it is called sooner than expected we do our best anyway. Even a march of 25000 people will get media attention for our cause and be enough to get rid of new labour at least. The charter should call for a review of ALL taxes and laws passed by this obscene government and throw most of them out and promise a return to the Free nation we all used to enjoy; free of state intrference or corporation prejudice against smokers and religious identity for example.

2. This charter should draw together all the major groups threatened by the governments interference.
with 13 million minimum smokers and 2 million active foxhunting suppoters that alone is a huge wedge. As the CA have already had experince of a mssive demonstration putting half a million in London and gaining worldwide attention on grounds of liberty, their assistance in galvanising support and organisation would be imperative. Incidentally, one of the few other grups of people that supported the march included siekhs; who know the feeling of not being free to ride a horse or motorcycle without a helmet etc. We should also call on support from ethnic groups such as moslems threatened by bans to traditional clothing and also of course smoking bans damaging their restaurant trade; and also the looming threat of animal rights pressure to ban halal meat.

3. This of course would call for a masive call by the oragnisers to respect on another freedoms even though we all may not agree . A smoker may not approve of hunting but he must put away his prejudice or lose his right to smoke and vice vera. This is the ONLY way forward.

4. Organise a Libertarian Party. With such a good website here it can call for donations from all the above groups. Remember Ron Paul, without the support of any major corpoation or individual, raised $6 million dollars in a few days for his campaign of Libertarian policies, and he actually ran McCain to second place for the Republicans.

5. To get this cross board support for a charter of rights we want restored or not threatened, we must prepare a succinct summary of all the arguments:
the fact that th nazis banned smoking and foxhunting helps. But the charter should also include something along the lines of
” we respect the rights of cultures and individuals to dress in a manner they wish and practice traditional customs which threaten nobody else without fear of persecution by state indivdual or corporation.”
Christians Jews and Moslems can easily be united by corperations preventing all wearing their religious symbols. such a charter statement would also call for tolrance of othr groups and individuals too such as gays and trans gender people. Again we must all learn to respect one another’s rights.

6. The Libertarian agnda and political organisation because it will not have hug finacila support to begin with, and also could be counter productive in some cases, should only put up a candidate where all other candidates are in consensus on issues like smoking hunting and ID cards.
for example, whil many tory candidates should support thw idea of Liberty ideologically, many do not. People like Anne Widdecombe should be targetted by puting up a libertarian candidate against her if the other candidates are all anti hunting and smoking too. This will disrupt the voting because we can concentrate massive effort in a few single constituencies to campaign.
Elsewhere, we give website support, blog space, and street support to MPs of any pary who support out charter. I would be quite happy despite being broadly Conservative, to vote for A “Respect” candidate like gorg Galloway rather than Ann Widdcombe if he respected rights like freedom to hunt and smoke. So we now have an issue that is far far moer important than party politics and we should lend support to anyone who stands on a libertarian platform. People like Lembik Opik for example. This way we can gain cross party support for a Libertarian agenda. The politicans will soon learn that a group of people united over different issues can be a mightier force than lobby groups arranged on one that call for illiberal measures.

7. As party and lobby, we will be the first to truly present a united front against consensus politics which seeks to control and tax us . A tax cut on cigarettes and fuel would gain enormous support and money be saved by pulling out of Iraq. Long term a policy breaking the mould of preventative policy and instead investing in for example on virology and real policing instead of wasting money on prevention advrtising and stats collecting an spin will in the end pay better dividends.
any Librtarian Party must of course have a programme of strong defence BUT never unilateral intervention action. We only defend. In the end of all human confict it is the need for trading partners that brings peace…so an emphasis on that rather than trying to inerfer and export moral imperialism to other nations is another breaking with consensus.
whenver anyone is asked why they’d not bother to vote the answer is always clear; “they are all the same.”
a libertarian Party would offer real freedom prosperity small goovernement a police and prison concentrating on real crimes and a health and education service that does not blame patients or children for the failures of the establishment. Real crime include shoplifting of course which while the govrnment has been ciminalising smoking and hunting, larceny has ben virtually legalised. Again this is an insult to the electorate and extremely unpopular. They want real crime dealt with not smokers hunters and people who cant afford council tax.
There are MPs across all parties who would respect this agenda…or begin to HAVE to respect it. Also things like an attack on driving and parking restrictions would have huge popular support.

8. Regular meetings and fundraisers.
These can take part across the country through local organstaion and also utilise things like the Hunts organisations to support it. We can all contribute to fundraisers by donations , auctions, attendance, word of mouth and net advertising, and sparkling gala events like “Liberty Balls” at smoking friendly venues with good outdoor facilities.
On my part for example I would be delighted to hold a Liberty race day at Chepstow racecourse which I do for spinal injuries (raises around £25k)where we would sell race sponsorship (national press coverage) to supporters
eg: “The Buy Joe Jacksons new single for Liberty novice chase” could be sponsored for as little as £3000; of which 50% could go to the Librtarian party/freesociety.org
At the six race raceday, I would also organise a Libertarian fashion show. I also design clothes and all my six stunning models smoke and are furious about the smoking ban. One has a masters degree in politics btw and is standing as a Tory councillor with a Libertarian agenda at the next elections! At such an event we could net a lot of money for the idea especially if we can hold an aucion of items perhaps from our high profie supporters eg a day in the studio with Joe Jackson.

9. A high profile person should be sought to lead the organisation . Someone like Worral Thompson…or perhaps even Jermy Clarkson who has already been voted as the ideal prime minister by many polls, would be good.

10. a good symbol for the party. I favour personally a L in a circle…similar to the “V” for vendetta movie but an “L” we would sport this symbol everywehre we can…on website clothing badges posters etc.

11. Merchandise. I am sure there are artists and designers willing to donate their services to this end. I am already preparing such a range for my couture fashion range use and again would be happy to give any profit from items sold on this site to go to the organisation. I have for example a punky t shirt with tweed patches and zips and a green union jack with “Born to Hunt” on it and another with a sexy girl smoking with DEFIANT! written across it and nazi smoking posters on the sleeves.

I am sure there are other creative people here who could also offer such things.

12. A major campaign aimed at celebrities who woud support us. For example many supermodels have been attacked for being too thin, smoking etc and I am sure woud be eager to support us. I even think it would be easy to enlist the likes of Kate Moss and Johnny Depp. The shock of a campaign with such high profile celebs taunting the governement with sexy smoking shots and a kind of “rather get naked with someone who smokes than a Nazi” and ” second hand smoking is safer than second hand fascism” or something logo would have incredible power and make people wake up. There is no law stiopping smoking appearing in Art or non tobacco company ads so this should be fine.
Artists musicians bands designers should also support us. Fashion designers in particular who have been attacked by animal rights fascists and anti smoking fascists and using thin models would also I think support us.

does anyone else agree/disagree with any of this?

ann (Tue Apr 1, 12:28 PM)

Well done Simon for taking on those wankers in brussels, its frightening to know that those dead head fascists are presiding over europe and making up laws for their own benefit and ego. I hope that the people of ireland wont be completely brainwashed next june and have the courage to vote NO on the lisbon treaty. The further one keeps away from those lunatics in the eu the better for ones well being. The smoking ban was a way of proving, if only to themselves, that they could exercise power over a massive minority. As far as I’m concerning that is the most frightening aspect of the eu and the health brigade. Here’s an unrelated example, I bought a mobile phone yesterday and the accompanying manual scarcely showed you how to use the phone but mostly related to the safe disposal of the unit, makes you wonder is the damn thing safe to use at all. Jesus drove the tax collectors from the temple maybe its time the same fate should befall the health crusaders!

Margaret (Wed Apr 9, 06:12 PM)

Margot, I too would like thoes details, Why Oh Why do people belive the tripe they are fed. Free thinking seems to be a thing of the past in the UK

Terry Maz (Sun May 4, 02:47 PM)

Great stuff here! Bravo! American libertarians salute you!

My suggestion is to pick out a single business – perhaps a hotel chain – that has an extremely restrictive smoking policy, and subject them to a smokers, tolerant non-smokers (like me), and general lovers of liberty boycott. Throw in a few picket lines to raise consciousness and garner media attention and you could see real change.