Posted by TonyBlows on Friday, 09 February 2007 20:59:25

Well said Gasdoc

at last someone with some sence, take a look at this and tell me what you think.

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=2699800300274168460"

Posted by Donnie on Saturday, 10 February 2007 10:16:35

Dr Button I just love your website - well said - I want to live in a free, independent UK and will vote for a political party where this is on offer. Well said.

Posted by Seneca on Saturday, 10 February 2007 16:31:53

I also do not want a new mummy and daddy in the form of HMG.

I already have a set, thank you, and they taught me to weigh up the various risks that I will face during my three score and ten.

If I wanted to be told what to do, and how to live my life, I could have stayed at home.

Less is more, in my opinion. Lets get HMG to apply that adage. If UKIP are the only sensible choice, I will vote for them, and convince everyone I know to do the same.

Already, 52% of my gross income goes to HMG, without tobacco, alcohol, VAT, fuel tax, road tax, insurance tax (at 17.5%), fuel surcharges on my airline flights (around 60 flights per year), and the myriad of other stealth taxes. Not satisfied with robbing me blind every time I turn around, now you want to tell me what my lifestyle choices will be?

Go to hell. I have had enough.

Posted by Sherlock on Saturday, 10 February 2007 17:42:34

Tony - that video is scary stuff !!

I can oly speak from a personal point of view here, but I can see no future in the UK now. I run a small building company with my partner and up until last year the company has done quite well, but in saying that, an awful lot of effort was put into building it up. We have had to contend ( as have all businesses of course) with more and more regulations, barmy Health and Safety stuff, which in my opinion has mainly been put in place to put money in the coffers of thousands of so called H&S; consultancy companies, who, when you ask them for help, suddenly decide not to answer you. We are also feeding the growing compensation legal trade and as a small employer, you live in fear of what will become of you, should an accident take place. Small companies just cannot compete any more with the "Big Boys" especially in the building trade, where Eastern Europeans have come in to take vast amounts of jobs. They work from backs of old cars and beaten up vans, cheaply and for cash. I am not saying that some are not good at what they do but I for one, have had enough trying to legally tender for work. The "Big Boys" are employing as many as they can at minumum wage - it seems to matter not a jot that half their workforce cant converse in english, so long as they are cheap and attend site for 8 hours a day. Whether they are productive does not seem to matter as they will charge by the hour anyway. Since the beginning of last year, I have seen 8 small building companies go out of business. They were small family companies which have been trading for many years and had good reputations. Several more. like ourselves, are close to jacking it all in now.
To add insult to injury, my partner and all his workforce are smokers. They sometimes work an 80 hour week as we have to make hay when the sun shines so to speak. Every Friday they unwind at the pub with a beer and a ciggy. They wont have many more Fridays left to do that as come July 1st that will be it. They have said they will not go to the pub anymore and as there is usually a group of about a dozen ( smokers and non-smokers) out local pub will feel it when their tills are down a few hundred pounds a week.

Have always voted Tory but I think that it is time for a change and UKIP seem to fit the bill.

Posted by Donnie on Saturday, 10 February 2007 19:36:13

seneca, I feel exactly the same I am sick to the teeth of being taxed to the hilt and now they want to tell me how I am going to spend my leisure time - well tough I am not playing ball. house parties I think will be back in fashion. hey we could open one of those dens styled on the days of prohibition in the 20's - give the secret knock, the little window opens, give the password gain entry. Should be great fun

Posted by ChriB on Sunday, 11 February 2007 12:23:12

It seems such a crazy world when in an attempt to control smoking HMG has introduced a law that:
1. Ensures that smoking and its associated camaraderie at the pub must be outside in front of impressionable young people..
2. Gatherings of smokers and their tolerant non-smoking friends are only possible in unregulated venues such as the home.
3. Creates, especially through advertising, a maligned under class and cause celebre for rebellious youth.
4. Removes the opportunity to smoke and relax away from the home after a hard days work.
5. Empowers the DoH to control physical health whilst ignoring the more important social needs of the Nation.
6. Imposes a need for outdoor heating devices whilst HMG bleats on about global warming.
7. Creates an unlevel playing field for a quarter of the Nation (and their non-smoking friends). 8. Follows only the recommendations of activist 'scientists' and anti-tobacco groups and ignores all damage or downsides.
9. Assumes that smoker's suffering will be 'trivial' and encourages the inhumane treatment of many citizens such as elderly smokers in homes and hospices.
10 Creates isolation of the vulnerable by removing simple pleasures due to the closure of established social centres and meeting places whilst HMG calls for social Inclusion, tolerance and the importance of community.
11. Results from accepting a weak (pre-determined) association behind the effects of SHS and cancer whilst ignoring the multiplicity of alternative causes. Widespread pollution, household chemicals etc..
12. Uses a 'big stick' approach on a steadily decreasing habit to satisfy a minority of smoke haters whose incompetence has failed to achieve Government's objectives (despite having received lots of public funding).
13. Creates an ever-growing empire of so-called smoking cessation groups whose success rate is regularly less than 10%.
And lots more.......................
In a Country proud of its independence and individuality it is a disgrace that ALL major political parties are unable/unwilling to provide for the needs of ALL its people. No non-smoker or smoke-averse worker needs to suffer from the perceived effects of SHS if they choose not to enter known smoke friendly venues ---- Problem solved!
Let's have smoke-friendly and smoke-free places for relaxation.

David Cameron still has the chance to defuse this socially divisive time bomb but has shown that he is not strong enough. UKIP, however small they are, have at least had the guts to recognise the harm this Bill will cause.

Posted by Bobfm on Sunday, 11 February 2007 18:33:18

Freedom to Choose have indeed formed an alliance with UKIP, we have communicated with the Conservatives at all level but have sadly to my knowledge never to have received any direct communication. I have written to David Cameron on at least 3 occasions and these letters were not even acknowledged. Whilst I recognise in the scheme of things F2C may not appear important however with over 30,000 voters signing various petitions and having access to millions of voters the Conservatives could easily have secured an election victory. All F2C's efforts through it's thousands of licensees will promote UKIP. A Vote for UKIP will be a vote for choice.
Robert Feal-Martinez, National Leader http://www.freedom2choose.co.uk

Posted by mulluski5 on Monday, 12 February 2007 00:00:07

I agree Dr Phil,
I was horrified with what I learnt in the video, we were conned then.
It appears we are being forced to stop smoking in order to get treated on the mismanaged NHS, surely that is social engineering.
I hate what the goverment are doing to the working class, the pensioners and the disabled, when pubs close it affect everyone.
Ghost towns will be on the rise.
My local decided to go non-smoking, that was their choice, my choice is to stay at home and drink.
My local club did not want to give it's customers a voice, when that is forced to go non-smoking, I will not be going so regular.
People who say "smokers only have to nip outside" should they wish to carry on smoking, have no idea or do not care where this is going.
The Canadians who paid out for smoking patios, are now being told they will no longer be used for smokers. Pub gardens will become non-smoking down the line. Ireland are already talking about peoples homes, coming in to the ban.
For those that do not believe it, do some research, or join the http://bigdebate.org, where there is lots of information. You will not see it on TV because it is biased as is much of the media.
If the antis wanted no-smoking pubs why did they not lead the way, obviously it would have been an unpopular idea, that is why this ban has been forced on all buisnesses.
Labour will not get my vote in the next few decades, if UKIP do nto go back on what they say like Blair did, then I will vote for them if they are in my area.
http://freedom2choose.co.uk
for tolerant non-smokers and smokers alike.
It looks like David is following the PC brigade, the liberals are now illiberal.

Posted by Shaftmonde on Monday, 12 February 2007 00:20:39

Yes, it's heartening isn't it?
Now that the medical profession have discovered the magic pill to cure everything we can all look forward to long and healthy lives, free from disease.

If reports in thew media are to be believed, all ailments spring from smoking.
You can hardly ever listen for a minute to a puppet 'expert' in any field of health-care, before they predictably trot out their mantra about smoking.
Apparently it causes just about every disease known to man, thereby excusing the health professionals from not having found a cure.
Frankly, I find myself a little embarrassed for them, for their unquestioning obedience to the faith. But mostly I feel anger at the lies they perpetrate.

"The majority is always wrong" - J.K.Galbraith. Now that's a mantra everybody should repeat daily. Even the bible says so.(Yes, I know that the corollary is not that the minority is necessarily right)

Posted by Donnie on Monday, 12 February 2007 09:12:19

You know I realy am disapointed with David Camerons opinion on the smoking ban that Labour and the Liberals are bringing in. I always thought being a conservative represented individual freedom and the least government interference in peoples lives and businesses. Everybody knows that the SHS theory is the biggest con ever, so why isnt David standing up for independent publicans and allowing them to accomodate both types of their customers Smoking and Non Smoking. what has happened to our so called free society - gone gone gone

Posted by Duchess on Monday, 12 February 2007 12:16:39

I will be one life-long Tory voting with her feet Mr. Cameron!

Lal Sullivan