Tuesday 26 January 2010

The Majority Have Spoken - Time For Change


Like an archaelogist dusting off some remnant of an earlier age, Taking Liberties has found out that a formerly regular question, now deemed to be taboo, is still being asked, albeit quietly.

In Britain as a whole, the majority support a smoking ban, with just seven per cent saying that smoking should be freely allowed. However, the level of restriction, whether a complete ban or simply restricted to certain areas, divides the public.

While just under half (46 per cent) support a ban on smoking in pubs and bars altogether, a similar proportion (41 per cent) prefer limiting smoking to certain areas of pubs and bars.

Of course, this isn't much of a surprise, considering the three option question was a staple of annual interrogation from 1996 onwards.

Long-serving readers here (I feel for you, honest) might remember my pointing out just such an ancient custom.

Since 1996, they have split the responses between those who approve of an outright ban, those who favoured some restrictions, and the numbers calling for none at all.

The figures up to 2005 were:

2003: 20%, 70% and 8% respectively.
2004: 31%, 63% and 5%
2005: 33%, 61% and 5%

Note that the first figure is those in favour of what has now been inflicted on us. The significant majority didn't want it. This could have been embarrassing to Labour, in the wake of their authoritarian Health Act 2006, if the ONS hadn't changed the way they presented the stats ... which is exactly what they did. I'm sure they still asked the same questions, but tables were published showing 66% agreeing with restrictions (a flatline from the previous two years by their own admission), without any further detail.

Lo and behold, a majority now in favour, whereas before they were struggling for a third of those surveyed. As Paul Daniels might say, now that's magic.

With the ban a fait accompli, the question was considered no longer necessary, or so it seemed until the BSA report was studied more closely.

And you sure as shit aren't going to read that the majority of the country don't favour a blanket smoking ban from the BBC or the legions of public funded bansturbators.

Thus it would have been buried under the rubble of a bygone, more free, era until today told us a truth that only the most blinkered of anti-smoking bigots would deny.

It is quite impossible for a public, any public on the face of the earth, to go from 66% disapproval of a blanket smoking ban, to 76% the other way ... in a couple of years (this is the best link ASH could find, so step forward Warrington, the worldly font of fuckwittery).

How many times have you read that the smoking ban is overwhelmingly popular? That it is a reaction to the will of the public? Well, as VGIF highlights today, there are but a few who foist this view ... and they are paid from the public purse and by companies which benefit greatly from the deception.

Despite the lack of any evidence apart from a shonky, duped northern newspaper, the latest ASH accounts continue the mendacity which they, themselves, created - and use it as a motivation to push for more intrusion into your life.

Objectives:

Following the successful implementation of the overwhelmingly popular and effective smokefree law in July 2007, ASH has been at the forefront of a new campaign for a national tobacco control plan.

There. Right there. Is the lie and is provably so. Not just this year, but for every year since 1996 when the question was first asked.

There is no justification for a blanket ban in this country. Not if we value democracy and freedom of choice. Not if we value the voice of the people over coercion by the state and its lackeys. Not if we believe that vested interests who, addicted to lies can spill four or five before their morning toast is even crisp, are more important than the choices of the public.

The majority - count it, the majority - want the smoking ban amended. They didn't want the current all-encompassing ban to begin with, they never have wanted it.

Now, Tories. Labour are corrupt and in the pocket of these unutterably disgusting and self-serving fucknuts. If they regain power, the electorate may as well consider China as a realistic emigration option.

So we're left with Cameron and his health goon, Andrew Lansley. Well, both, What are YOU going to do about this?

Speak up!




8 comments:

marley said...

Cam and Lansley - Oh dear we are in the shit again.

Barking Spider said...

I doubt, unfortunately, that either of those two have the will or the balls to do anything about it - unless there is one almighty uproar, DP.

JuliaM said...

"This could have been embarrassing to Labour..."

Do you really think, at this stage, that embarrassment is even possible for them?

JuliaM said...

"There is no justification for a blanket ban in this country. Not if we value democracy and freedom of choice. Not if we value the voice of the people over coercion by the state and its lackeys."

I'm beginning to be convinced that the majority no longer value those things, sadly.

Uncle Marvo said...

Same thing was the downfall of one Mr A. Hitler.

Frank Davis said...

Great stuff.

Nearly Done used to headline the figures for 2006 (I think), complete with a link to the source. One day the link vanished. It was to a government poll of some sort. It may well have been the one you've just referenced. If so, I've been hunting for it for ages.

Anonymous said...

The latest figure on the Tory questionnaire is that 73% of people want smoking back in private clubs (and probably pubs I reckon)
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/.a/6a00d83451b31c69e20120a7d1a66b970b-pi

Anonymous said...

Most people I know who dont smoke or go in pubs support the ban in pubs.

Most people I know who do smoke and go in to pubs DONT support the
ban in pubs.

It hardly needs an Einstein to
find an explanation for that.

For a fair poll nay I suggest
conducting one OUTSIDE all Bitish
pubs at about 11pm on a Saturday
night.

Anyway, who really cares about the opinions of cowards and lickspittles. Dont forget who
we can really thank for the silly
childish ban,,,,
....1 The Landlords.............
(With a very few exceptions)

....2 The dipsticks who still stand
outside pubs whingeing

The Blue Baron