One-Sided Equations

Here we go again. More civil service lies, and yet another industry facing ruin as a result of fraudulent socialist politicians forcing their agenda without recourse to proper consultation.

The Tobacco and Primary Services Bill aims to abolish cigarette vending machines in Scotland, but it is facing a fierce challenge from the industry, which could end up in the courts.

The National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators (Nacmo) has claimed that it was not consulted before the bill was brought forward.

In addition, its representatives have said that the Scottish Government has used incorrect data on the number of vending machines in Scotland and jobs affected.

The Scottish Government regulatory impact assessment claimed only 14 jobs were supported by cigarette machines in Scotland, yet there are actually 45 jobs.

And it overestimated the number of vending machines in Scotland, claiming there were 6,522 when in fact there are around 3,500.

The organisation has also attacked the Scottish Government for using English data about underage smokers to back up its arguments, and not collecting Scottish figures.

NACMO are very generous in only referring to 'incorrect data'. The scale of the inaccuracies is such that it can only be described as blatant lying. The alternative, of course, is that the Scottish Government are incredibly incompetent, but either way, it is clear that these businesses are being wilfully destroyed in the cause of blind unthinking healthism, as their counterparts in the hospitality and corner shop industries have already found to their cost.

[Paul Mair, chairman of Nacmo] added that any decision, even if it was delayed, would lead to the 14 companies operating vending machines in Scotland going bust overnight.

"The banks would immediately withdraw their credit and that would be it," he said. "These are family companies not big conglomerates."

This matters not a jot to the modern holier-than-thou politician. Their reasoning is a perennial one-sided equation, involving huge emphasis of exaggerated health costs whilst simultaneously ignoring the duty income from the product, and the economic impact to the businesses concerned.

The positives of this law are far outweighed by the negatives. Firstly, as NAMCO quite rightly point out, there is no need to ban the machines to stop under 18s buying from them.

He said that a radio frequency system can be attached to machines that forces purchasers to prove their age.

So no need for a ban then. Especially since there is little or no proven evidence that it will work, but unavoidable logic that it will destroy an industry and put people out of work.

So, as we see time and time again, the Scottish Assembly has quite simply ignored the industry, and produced fraudulent statistics to con the public and MSPs into passing a bill which has all to do with prejudice and bigotry but will do absolutely nothing for the health of the nation.

Lord Darzi lied his arse off to the House of Lords a couple of weeks ago in the same way, so that the tobacco display ban would pass without much objection.

While the expenses frauds are in sharp focus to the public, this evasion of truthful appraisal is going on daily behind the scenes. The politicians who have been lying and cheating to stuff their pockets are quite rightly being hauled over the coals, but so should those who lie and cheat to pervert the course of democracy. Preferably over very hot ones on the way to a sturdy lamp post and a grinning mob clutching piano wire.