Does The Tobacco Industry Have A Representative In Parliament These Days?

[sandyRoe]

I remember John Carlisle, MP, split his time between representing Luton and the interests of tobacco producers.
He didn't smoke himself.

[douglas9401]

I can't recall the name but there is one, noted for being a plain speaker.
No filter.

[barry1010]

You may find this report from 2019 interesting, sandy
https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/deep-concerns-over-public-health-as-the-bmj-reveals-mps-links-to-organisation-backed-by-tobacco-industry/

[naomi24]

Is there something 'newsy' about this that we should be looking at?

[Peter Pedant]

poss
big scandal when it was found a respected scientist who spoke out about the low quality of research in this area.....
was paid off by the tobacco companies

big hoolie and soul searching about if a scientist says 'X, I am independent' - -is completely different to 'X - oh by the way soeone is paying me to say that'
( the scientist being Einstein or someone rather than mrs mopp from darrn the road who cleans at hoo-jah's)

[Peter Pedant]

yeah bias and corruption in the commons, Naomi
and whether people lie about their convictions

[naomi24]

Do you have a link, PP?

[sandyRoe]

A tenuous link, maybe. There was a report on the radio this morning that the minimum legal age to be able to buy cigarettes could be raised.

[aelmpvw]

good news for the black market . . .

[Ken4155]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/uknews/18816180/major-change-smoking-laws-age-cost-taxes-review/

[naomi24]

Surely that should be the subject of the OP then, sandyRoe.

[Redhelen72]

I don't think that raising the age that you can smoke/buy would have changed my view of smoking- if anything it would make me want to do it more!

[ichkeria]

I had a feeling John Carlisle came to our school to do the prize giving years ago. But although our headmaster wasn't exactly a left winger (and he certainly didn't oppose flogging), I think having that Carlisle might have been a bit much even for him.
More likely it was Mark Carlisle, a different sort of Tory entirely.

[barry1010]

I was very surprised the other day when I when passed a college during the students' lunch break - lots of students heading in to town but none were smoking or vaping.

[ichkeria]

I think in the past Priti Patel lobbied for the tobacco industry

[sandyRoe]

Naomi, when I heard the news report I wondered if there were parliamentarians who might work to stymie the report, putting their own interests above those of the people of the UK.
That accounted for the direction of the op.