Foreground
New Labour did not see fit to tell us what we were voting for. There was no mention of an outright ban on smoking in public places prior to New Labour being elected for a third term. The new law makes a mockery of liberty and denies our inherent sense of British-ness - the very quality the Government is trying to promote. Of course, you may agree with the smoking ban and think it a good thing but this campaign is not just about the rights of smokers, it is likely to be someone else's freedom of choice which will be threatened next.
It is not simply a matter of people being protected from the questionable effects of passive smoking. In a tolerant society it is entirely possible to segregate non-smokers from smokers, but we no longer live in a tolerant society. We are living under a puritanical, dogmatic administration that believes the whole population must be ordered and controlled by law to follow its rules. After a decade in government New Labour has achieved more than it ever dreamed of achieving, and for most of us the dream has turned into a nightmare. The government has turned from prudence to persecution.
The smoking ban will prove to have many unintended consequences; for example: 1. Increased smoking at home in front of the children. 2. Increased chances of domestic disharmony. 3. The increased likelihood of illnesses such as colds, influenza and pneumonia caused by being forced to smoke outside. 4. Increased global warming caused by outdoor heating.
It is curious that our politicians are so concerned about the possible effects of passive
smoking on the nation’s health when the very same politicians have probably been responsible for as many innocent deaths in Iraq as Saddam Hussein. The new law blatantly ignores the rights of 46% of pub-goers who enjoy smoking. What will be banned or restricted
next – alcohol? Democratic Choice intends to make New Labour accountable for its part in
our democratic downfall and the dissolution of our civil liberties.
Democratic Choice insists that New Labour revises the smoking ban in view of the facts concerning the undemocratic way it came into being. At home and abroad New Labour has gone way beyond its remit and is entering into areas of control that should not be the jurisdiction of an elected government. It is perverse that while trying to enforce democracy in Iraq New Labour is diminishing it in our own country.
