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Challenging the smoking ban . . .

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The UK smoking ban is deeply unpopular within the pub trade and beyond. According to most reports some two thirds of publicans and indeed the public were against an outright ban on smoking in public places. Given that this is a healthy majority it seems odd that there is little concerted effort to oppose the ban and those that have stuck their necks out have come in for some flak - even amongst members of their own trade.

It's not all like that - Skipton pubwatch barred Prime Minister Gordon Brown from all the pubs in the locale for crimes against our social lives and for ruining their business. Alistair Darling has suffered the same fate and is barred from some 2000+ pubs for his anti pub budget. Others such as Hamish Howitt, Tony Blows and Nick Hogan have been pro-active and high profile - and have suffered the consequences.

Current proposals from the govt include the banning of displays of cigarettes in shops and the removal of vending machines from pubs. It doesn't take too much imagination to see the next step will be the banning of smoking in all public places - and this so as to remove temptation from 'innocents' and smokers banished like lepers behind the 'bike sheds'.

I've gotten involved with a group called Freedom2Choose (and have been appointed 'Pub liaison officer' - which likely means carrying on as I have been . . .) They have been useful in providing an organisation behind these efforts and also grounds to influence their membership into doing something other than moan and live in hope.

Some literature was prepared to take around pubs - F2C's flyer, posters, petitions and notification of public meetings. This sort of broke the ice but in practice seems unnecessary, perhaps too much information, and public meetings maybe too formal. Better discussions were had afterwards and when touting the UK Independence Party's 'bin the ban' beermats in time for the local elections. Whether it was UKIP as a known party or the fact that the beermats were more professional than my efforts and had immediate use is unknown. I think it's more the latter.

Extra impetus was given after I'd met a music promoter and he very interested in taking on 'the man'. Out of this has come an idea to promote gigs in pubs in the locale (likely under the banner 'cigarettes n alcohol') but also with a view to influencing further afield, for example via MySpace and word of mouth within 'the music community'. One pro-choice page I'd come across had the likes of Paul Weller and other 'names' so such an approach could yield significant results.

This is a new tack and one that seems to have more enthusiasm and potential although still in embryonic stage, involving local bands, The LAbels (www.myspace.com/labels), Merrygo (www.myspace.com/Merrygo05) and promoter louderthanbombs. Although 'local' this is quite a thriving and influential scene with contacts and further possibilities.

This coming weekend I will be revisiting pubs with a rollcall of all those wanting to challenge the ban. If there's the expected majority on board then it may be a case of pushing to defy the ban en masse and in one go. That may prove a step too far for some initially so will be backed up with 'You're barred!?!' posters of local politicians/health consultants/etc - download an example. On top of this there are cafes, restaurants, hotels, taxis and smokers in the streets to be targeted.

To find out more or get involved, email Mark Harrop.

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Ban work update: Saturday

Mark Harrop - Thu, 03/07/2008 - 17:57

Ban work update:

Saturday 28th June. "You couldn't make it up"

Jill and Ray McHale of The Painters' Arms, Drighlington, were visited by 6 coppers and 2 enforcement officers and were charged with allowing smoking in their pub.

They replied they were in compliance as they informed punters that it's against the law to smoke in the premises but it's up to them if they do.

This had it's origins in elderly customers coming in from the cold - near blue - and not being up to going out much. Ray and Jill decided they weren't going to treat their customers like that so 'allow' smoking - this goes down very well with customers and has been the situation for 6 months.

On the saturday visit Ray told the EOs that if they wanted to enforce the ban and fine the customers then go ahead. But they didn't want to know and wouldn't approach the customers - it seems they're always after the licensees.
After them not being able to do anything Ray promptly barred them from his pub; he told the coppers he knew his rights and had the EOs removed by the very coppers that accompanied them - all laughing by the way.

Funny as it is this situation exists temporarily whilst the spirit of such attacks remains and could deepen and further challenges required.

Sunday 29th.

The landladies and regulars at The Scarborough Arms and Eagle Inn plus others went ahead with the Westgate Run 'smokeathon'. This had been hard work to set up and some licensees wary of being pushed to the front. It had been suggested to broaden this out to The North-South-East and Westgate Run which sort of worked. In all we managed 7 Pubs - only 2 on Westgate obliged even though others had said they would like smoking back but were wary.

The event went down well with other punters and passersby tooted and cheered. It must be said it wasn't an overtly political demonstration - though it has the chance to be.

It was filmed by John Baker of F2C and grainy videos appear on youtube. It does look like lots of gobby northerners but it was a bloody good day and myself proud to be a 'gobby northerner'.

Westgate Run#1

Westgate Run#2

Haltemprice and Howden by election.

David Davis, perhaps in his twilight years or feeling some higher political value, wants to open a national debate on liberty. This was principally kicked off over the holding of suspects without trial for 42 days but a read of his blog reveals he has other concerns - eg some 266 different authority orders granting access to our home or the use of anti terror frameworks to spy on the public for trivial matters.

He's on shifting ground really as he states that the authorities concerned say there is not much use in extending from 26 days, mentions that cctv cameras are ineffective 80% of the time but mostly that such measures fail to make us any more secure. He doesn't call for their removal and largely seems to have fallen into ping pong politicking and getting one over Labour rather than having some higher minded libertarian drive.
The ground has shifted especially due to length of the candidate list and also that Labour and LibDems aren't opposing - it seems pragmatism and the lack of having a debate in public (rather than parliamentary wheelerdealing) seems a little offputting.

Hamish Howitt - the first landlord to be fined under the anti smoking legislation - is one of the 26 candidates in this Hull constituency. He is something of a maverick and has some outspoken but uninformed views about certain things. However, he was one of the first to offer his candidacy after instinctively seeing an opportunity offered in this election.

The smoking ban is not the major political issue but is symbolic of curtailing and regulating consumption and altering our habits and lifestyles. In this we should have freedom to choose how we live and politicians should butt out of personal and private matters and get on with the bigger picture.

I have some involvement with Hamish Howitt and Nick Hogan after meeting up with them at Freedom2Choose meetings and have been offering advice (not always the best, I must add). Their standing in this election has caused ructions at F2C who seem to have publicly distanced themselves from HH and NH - likely because they are mavericks - but also because F2C don't wish to be too political and likely don't know how to work through 'difficult' situations. That somewhat understandable as smoking versus detention without trial seems trivial. There has been a lively behind the scenes debate with F2C whose executive favour a legal and 'sensible' route rather than 'fools rushing in'.

I've attempted the argument that this is billed as sparking a national debate on liberty and provides a vehicle for such things as this - though definitely not solely as 'getting our smoke rooms back'.

Have suggested via F2C forums - and to be posted online at, eg The Publican and Morning Advertiser - that this situation be exploited in that we do a pub crawl/canvas both in Hull but also nationally, stating that a fundamental freedom is being eroded based on mistruths, is deeply punitive and more of the same to come.

Am setting up polling papers for pubs, etc to directly challenge the ban by asking clientele to take a vote and either nominate a time to 'light up' en masse (and directly challenging a ridiculous and unenforceable law as above) and/or declaring support for Hamish on this matter. He can then concentrate in the areas likely to prove more effective on this alone rather than having to appear as an out and out credible politician.
I'm sure he'd make a better publican than MP.

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Smoking ban update. Tackling

Mark Harrop - Wed, 28/05/2008 - 07:29

Smoking ban update.

Tackling the smoking ban is quite hard work but persistence finally seems to be paying off. It's one of those things that people initially have enthusiasm for but then they seem to get wary. I have been saying that it will likely finish off the Govt so that's maybe a bit outlandish for some.

Perhaps myself also. A meeting I'd arranged and dropped out of last week was apparently well attended. It seemed like the 'campaign' needed a fresh tack and the publicans and regulars had a good discussion - a much needed break and showing that plenty of other people have ideas. What has been discussed is a 'smokeathon' based on Wakefield's Westgate run and pencilled in for June 29th. Other details to be confirmed but 99p printed T-shirts will probably be the 'entry fee'. The Westgate run was/is the longest stretch of adjacent pubs in England and with a bit of a shove we may get pubs onboard all the way to London.

Previous leaflets and petitions to outlying pubs are being cohered into a rollcall/petition of all the premises prepared to challenge the ban. This was finally kicked off tonight and 4 out of 4 signed - three publicans and one taxi business owner and all with further links. Those pubs who are on-message but not yet onboard may start to see that, actually, we can do something about this.

The petition states:

"We the undersigned are challenging the smoking ban. It was brought in without a vote, is based on mistruths and is punitive. We call for the ban to be overturned, demand the return of fines and compensation for loss of earnings and business.

We call on our representatives to allow choice of smoking policies by proprietors, staff and public or face being barred from the premises."

This compliments previous petitions that were more to prove that most pubs were onside.
www.Freedom2Choose.info have anow got downloads of MPs who voted for the ban. These are starting to go up and are available for all the country. I find them a bit wooden but this stuff is easy to knock up should anyone want to have a go.

The bands thing mentioned earlier proved a bit youthful and pretentious but also 'too early'. Now with pubs coming onboard some there may be solid venues. There are other bands - one being 1664, who 'do Motorhead'.

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