Still catching up after a busy Friday, so thanks go to The Daily Politics for YouTubing Thursday night's Question Time. This snippet raised an eyebrow or two as the grown-up Puddlecotes enjoyed the weekly QT Chenin Blanc (from 4:18 in the above clip).
Andrew Lansley: "The job of all of us is to respect the views and the needs of minorities as much as we respect the view of a majority in a democracy."
Glad to hear it, Andrew, very glad.
The problem is that he doesn't appear to apply this excellent democratic outlook to the minority or the majority on certain issues, if Tim Montgomerie on Con Home is to be believed, after a poll found that a majority of Tim's blog members favoured choice for the minority with regard to the smoking ban.
My understanding, however, is that Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley - a great believer in public health - does not want to return to the issue.
No. It would seem that the majority stamping all over an element of choice for the minority is perfectly acceptable to Lansley when it comes to the provision of separate smoking rooms, or any other compromise, for the 21% of adults who enjoy tobacco.
If Lansley truly believes that "The job of all of us is to respect the views and the needs of minorities", he would look at a way of amending the smoking ban should the 'shadow' be removed from his job title post-general election.
Unless only some minorities count, of course.
