Wheels Within Wheels

Further to yesterday's article on the stunning level of taxes being wasted by Smokefree South West, comes more evidence that they've troughed far too much money for far too long. You see, it has led to their taking the right royal piss.

As I said before, SFSW are central to any daft idea pumped out by the UK tobacco control industry, simply because they are awash with cash. One such initiative is the woefully inept mud-slinging Tobacco Tactics website, as detailed in their business plan from the time of its inception [pdf page 20].

You know the drill, click to enlarge

So Smokefree South West were funnelling £350k to the University of Bath for their wiki, eh? The same university which boasts Anna "junk for hire" Gilmore, one of the most adept tobacco control grant magnets of all time.

And what do we find from Anna's Bath University web profile?

Look at the entry at the foot of the screen shot

Yes, that's correct. Anna Gilmore is part of the committee which decides Smokefree South West's policy. The same Smokefree South West which is channelling hundreds of thousands of taxpayer funds to the University of Bath ... for initiatives which Anna Gilmore benefits from.

Morally bankrupt? Borderline corrupt? Should be illegal? Of course, did you expect anything else from the tobacco control industry?

It's bad enough that Smokefree South West is taking taxpayer receipts to lobby the government which hands it to them; that they are using public money to further pharmaceutical industry interests at our expense. But when these ill-gotten funds are subsequently being shovelled to Anna Gilmore by, err, Anna Gilmore, there should be some serious questions asked. No?

And perhaps, may I suggest, every penny should be handed back to the country along with an appropriately hefty fine to discourage others attempting the same grubby misappropriation of our taxes.

H/T @TobaccoTacticss