Most importantly, please note that the start time has been moved forward by an hour to 11am. This has been necessary for best media results (it's a long story). We will now be gathering at The Vaults from 11am onwards with speeches expected to start at 11:45.
The subject of the Stony Stratford ban cropped up on Jeremy Vine's BBC Radio 2 show today, with Bartlett himself being interviewed, along with David Nuttall MP who was making the opposite case for a relaxation of the smoking ban to accommodate separate smoking rooms.
Bartlett spoke less than fluently with muddled logic, and came across as the worst kind of anti-smoker - at one point even calling his own father "disgusting". You can listen to the debate here from 35 minutes in.
With regard to Stony Stratford on the 16th, four excellent speakers have so far been confirmed, and the event has received support from The Freedom Association, Big Brother Watch, Forest, UKIP, Freedom2Choose, and - of course - our esteemed mascot.
Local press will be in attendance and today I spoke to BBC Look East who will be bringing their cameras along on the day.
All rather encouraging, I think you'll agree.
There are still details to be confirmed, so a final rundown of the arrangements will follow early next week. If you're planning to come along on the day - or even if you can't make it - please invite others in any way you can. If on Facebook, there is an 'invite' button just beneath the picture on the event page HERE (it only appears once you have declared if you are coming or not).
Further reading:
Smokers and non-Smokers alike should unite against the petty authoritarianism of Stony Stratford councillors - Huffington Post UK
Stick this in your pipe and... - The Commentator
A smoking ban standoff in Stony Stratford - AboutMyArea/MK11
Showdown in Stony Stratford - Frank Davis
Join us in Stony Stratford - Last Ditch
Join me and Dick Puddlecote in Stony Stratford - Dave Atherton
Stony ground indeed - Freedom2Choose
You will be coming, won't you?
