Be Proud, Be Loud, Be Heard

If you're at a loose end at any time this week, here's something constructive you could fill a few minutes with.

Via Vapers in Power, a new website has been set up to encourage a letter-writing campaign towards MPs primarily about the appalling Tobacco Products Directive. As I've mentioned recently (see here and here), the consequences for e-cigs of this absurd and irresponsible piece of EU vandalism-posing-as-regulation are only now starting to emerge.  The VIP site, www.writetovape.co.uk, has summarised these in a handy graphic for those who aren't yet aware (click to enlarge).

It also carries a Welsh page to address the quite ludicrous proposal to ban vaping in public places there.

Whether you live in Wales or not, and whether you vape or not, the TPD and Welsh Assembly plans are quite clearly a gross intrusion into freedom of choice, free markets, property rights, and personal responsibility - they also, as always, have very little to do with health - so please do have a look around the site and share it widely.

To send your letter, simply enter your postcode and the site will identify your MP for you, opening up a text box to write what you have to say on the matter. As for the content of your message, this isn't a 38Degrees style clicktivist 'postcard' style drive (which irritate MPs into ignoring, or worse) but a move designed to make MPs aware of real personal feelings on the matter, so I couldn't agree more with VIP's advice.

Please be polite, concise and to the point, a few paragraphs are much more likely to be read with interest than a few pages - most importantly please use your own words.

And if you want to know why interaction with your MP is needed now more than ever, may I refer you again to Con4Lib's words of just a couple of weeks ago.

This is important because MPs always receive letters and emails in favour of restrictions on lifestyle freedoms (mostly from state-funded pressure groups - DP), and fewer in opposition. We believe it is time for the silent majority to find their voices.

Now, it's always been impressive that fellow jewel robbers here are quick to get involved in objecting to illiberal state meddling, so I hope many of you will join me again in writing to your MP via the Write to Vape site. You may also find it interesting as a way of finding out what the views of your MP are, because if you write to them using this site, they will be obliged to not only read it but also reply to you personally as a constituent.

To start, click here or via the sidebar link top right of this page. As always, feel free to share your contributions either in the comments or via email if you wish, they're always great to read.