That those ideas which have received the most votes and comments specifically as regards the smoking ban) should not be dismissed in the new version.

The idea

On 1^st July 2010, one W HOG introduced and ‘’idea’ which he entitled “Repeal and Change the Smoking Ban”. Since then, at today’s date, there have been 978 comments and 1178 votes. The comments are very largely repeat contributions, but the vast majority of the votes must surely be single, individual votes.

Most pollsters would be happy to agree that such a large number of people would provide a view of the opinion of the public with around 90-95% confidence. Thus we can say that some 60% of the people agree with the motion.

 

However, the Your Freedom site has been deliberately set up in its voting system to disallow such a conclusion since there is no possibility of voting ‘against’ the idea – you either vote a little bit ‘for’ or you vote a lot ‘for’ (one star up to five stars). Nevertheless, most people who dislike an idea vote ‘one star’ – meaning that they do not rate it, and so I think that it is reasonable to say that the majority of voters favour the ‘idea’ that the Smoking Ban should be amended at least – 60% of voters ‘rate’ the idea a good one. Also, we should note another similar idea: “ ‘Ban’ smoking ban in pubs……give landlord choice….” This idea had 413 comments and 859 votes. In this case, the vote was 80% rated as good. Also, there have been dozens of others, also rated over 80%.

 

The confidence level of the statistics indicates that the matter of an amendment to the ban is important to the people. In the consideration of the results of the consultation, these facts should be recognised.

 

Since the Smoking Ban, pub closures have accelerated. They have accelerated in turn, one after another, in Ireland, Scotland and England-and-Wales. In the face of such evidence, it is a travesty of reality for ASH to claim that their statement in 2003/4, that pub business would increase by leaps and bounds if smoking was banned, was anything other than a downright lie.  We must also bear in mind that ASH and Co were financed and directed by the unelected Professors of Physicianism who took over the Department of Health some years ago. 

Why is it important?

 

There is no convincing evidence that environmental tobacco smoke is harmful. Even the World Health Organisation’s own study could not find any significant harm. In fact, in some respects, even the WHO study found certain levels of protection against harm, particularly in children (I refer to the incidence of asthma in particular). Also – is it not odd, considering the claims of ASH and Co, that the very people who should be dying like flies (the people who were smoking heavily in the 1940s, 50s and 60s) are now living to an average age of about 80 years?

 

This is important for our freedoms in that THE PEOPLE should not be victimised and demonised by a few unelected professors of physicianism. But, perhaps more importantly, our Ministers of the Crown (notably the Minister of State for Health) should not have to accept the advice of and be bullied by these unelected ‘experts’. These experts are wasting millions of pounds on propaganda which could be spent of our troops in Afghanistan – there is no excuse for it.

 

I beg to move any or all of the following:

 

1. That restrictions on outdoor shelters should be removed, and/or
2. Smoking rooms should be legalised, and/or
3. The owners of pubs and bars, whether serving food or not, should be able to declare themselves to be smoking or not, and/or
4. That the whole smoking ban should be repealed.

 

I rest my case.