Big Brother Watch describes itself as a “cross-party, non-party, independent non-profit organisation leading the protection of privacy and civil liberties in the UK”. It states that it uses both advocacy and campaigns and independent research and investigations to “inform policy and public debate”.¹ It was founded in 2009 by Matthew Elliot, who also founded The TaxPayers’ Alliance.²

Pro-Tobacco Activities

Against the Point of Sale Display Ban

In November 2010, Mahendra Jadeja, the former president of the Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) (formerly known as National Federation of Retail Newsagents), attacked the Point of Sale Display Ban on the Big Brother Website, arguing it would “bring about a growth in the illicit cigarette market” and would force “many shops” to the wall “simply because the excessive cost of changing the shop gantries.” ³

Risks of Second-Hand Smoke “A Complete Fabrication”

In January 2011, the chair of Freedom2Choose, Dave Atherton wrote a guest blog for Big Brother Watch. He argued that his “area of expertise are the restrictions of smoking”. He then argued that The Tobacco Display Ban would have “no impact on youth smoking.” With regard to the “supposed harm of passive smoking (PS)”, he argued that “best it is exaggerated and at worst is a Labour Party dossier of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, complete fabrication.”⁴

The Letter to the Daily Telegraph

On 9 March 2011, Daniel Hamilton, then the Director of Big Brother Watch was one of 11 signatories of a Letter to the Editor to the Daily Telegraph attacking the Government’s position on tobacco control and arguing against further restrictions.

“Tax Doesn’t Reduce Consumption”

Two weeks later, in response to the 2011 Budget, Daniel Hamilton attacked the increase on cigarettes and tobacco. “Drinking beer and smoking cigarettes is a matter of basic personal choice. People should have a right to enjoy these perfectly legal products without the nanny state seeking to tax their personal preferences out of existence. “People’s response to ‘sin taxes’ is, generally, to sigh and pay them – the result isn’t to drive down consumption, but to increase the government’s tax take.”⁵

No Longer Involved in the Tobacco Debate

In May 2012, when asked to clarify whether Big Brother Watch was or previously had received tobacco industry funding, Nick Pickles replied: “We’re not involved in the tobacco/health/plain packaging debate and have not made any public statements on the issue for at least six months. I joined as Director in September 2011. We do not intend to do so for the foreseeable future.⁶
In January 2018, Big Brother Watch published a press release in response to the news that medical records were given to US firms connected to the tobacco industry by Public Health England. Silkie Carlo, Director of Big Brother Watch, was quoted in the release as saying that it was “appalling” and “unacceptable” that sensitive patient data was given to “a non-medical, corporate outfit paid by the tobacco industry – the very cause of many of those patients’ disease”. Big Brother Watch also supported calls for an inquiry into the issue by the Health Select Committee.⁷

Personnel

As of January 2020, the Big Brother Watch website lists two staff and five board members.¹

• Silkie Carlo – Director
• Griff Ferris – Legal and Policy Officer
• Lord Paul Strasburger – Chair of Board
• Al Ghaff – Board Member
• Dinah Rose QC – Board Member
• Mark Littlewood – Board Member
• Tim Knox – Board Member

Former Staff

• Matthew Elliott – Former Chief Executive
• Nick Pickles – Former Director
• Daniel Hamilton – Former Director
• Alex Deane – Former Director

References

The post Big Brother Watch appeared first on TobaccoTactics.

Background

“Why Business Needs Think Tanks”

An undated article titled “Why Business Needs Think Tanks” by Alejandro Chafuen and Leonard Liggio (former President and CEO of Atlas Network, respectively) explains Atlas Network’s focus on fostering think tanks. They wrote that the “secret” about think tanks is that they “can be the most effective, yet subtle, vehicles for influencing the development of public policy and the deliberations of governments.”⁹ They do this by attempting to “win the respect of journalists and government officials” and “shift the climate of opinion in favour of market approaches.”⁹

Partners

According to its website, as of July 2018, the Atlas Network had 485 partner think tanks and policy institutes in 94 countries.¹⁰ Listed partners include:

• Adam Smith Institute
• Centre for Policy Studies
• Consumer Choice Center
• Fraser Institute
• Free Market Foundation
• IEA
• Institute of Public Affairs
• National Center for Public Policy Research
• Reason Foundation
• The TaxPayers’ Alliance

Tax Exempt Status

The Atlas Network has a tax exempt status, as it is classified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a Section 501(c)(3) organisation.¹¹ Atlas receives around USD$9 million – USD$15 million each year in contributions and grants from donors.¹²¹³¹⁴

It does not make its governing documents or conflict of interest policy available to the public.¹⁴

Relationship with Tobacco Industry

Funded by Tobacco Companies

The Atlas Network listed British American Tobacco (BAT) as a donor in its 2016 and 2015 Annual Reports,¹⁵¹⁶ and Japan Tobacco International as a donor in its 2016 Annual Report.¹⁵ Its 2017 report listed no tobacco companies.¹⁷

Internal tobacco industry documents show the Atlas Network has had a longstanding funding relationship with the tobacco industry.

For instance, Philip Morris International (PMI) funding to Atlas continued until at least 2001¹⁸¹⁹ and was occurring regularly from 1993.²⁰ In 1994, PMI gave Atlas US$275,000 for “ongoing activities at the Atlas Foundation”.²¹ In 1995 PMI contributed $475,000 to Atlas for “Tobacco Issues Management”.²²

Board Members and the Tobacco Industry

José René Scull, an Atlas Network Board Member (as at August 2018),²³ formerly worked for Philip Morris in South America and Asia. In 1974, Scull was Marketing Manager at Tabacalera Salvadoreña, a Philip Morris subsidiary in El Salvador.²⁴ In the 1980s, he became Vice President Philip Morris Asia,²⁵²⁶ where Scull’s job was, in his own words “to spray the continent with Marlboro”.²⁷ In the late 1980s Scull took up the position of General Manager PMI Venezuela.²⁸ He was approached by Antony Fisher (the founder of the Atlas Network) around 1987 to help set up a think tank in Hong Kong.²⁷ In the early 1990s, Scull left PMI.²⁹

Scott Barbee is Treasurer of the Atlas Network, as at August 2018. He was a member of Atlas Network’s Advisory Council from at least 2010³⁰³¹³² and became a Board Member in 2015.³³ As at August 2018, he is owner and President of Aegis Financial Corporation,³⁴ which has held shares valued at more than US$10 million in Alliance One,³⁵ a global tobacco leaf processor whose customers include “all of the major consumer tobacco manufacturers”.³⁶ Other Atlas Network Board members are or have been investors in tobacco companies. For example, Nikolaos Monoylos and Charles Albers, executives of OppenheimerFunds, a company with a history of investing in tobacco shares,³⁷ have been on Atlas’ Board.²³³⁸

Other Board members are or have been affiliated with various Atlas think tanks, of which many receive tobacco industry funding.³⁹ For instance, as at August 2018, Linda Whetstone was Chair of the Atlas Network Board and a Board member of the Institute of Economic Affairs²³ and George Ohrstrom was an Atlas Board member and Trustee of the Reason Foundation.²³⁴⁰

“Strategic Ally” of the Tobacco Industry

Acted as Intermediary to Disguise Tobacco Industry Links

A 2017 peer-reviewed study by researchers of Simon Fraser University found that the Atlas Network has been a longstanding “strategic ally” of the tobacco industry.³⁹

According to the researchers, one of Atlas’ activities on behalf of the tobacco industry in the 1990s involved channelling payment from RJ Reynolds to an economics professor at George Mason University, James Bennett, for writing and publicising two books which strongly criticised government-funded tobacco control work.⁴¹⁴² Atlas Network helped obscure the tobacco industry’s involvement in the books.³⁹

Fostered Neo-Liberal Think Tanks Globally

The Atlas Network has used donations it receives to fund think tanks globally.⁴³ A report by the Center for Media and Democracy states Atlas has given over $20 million in grants to its partner think tanks since 1981, through money received from donors.⁴⁴

In a 1998 letter to Phillip Morris, Atlas’ CEO Chafuen explained it uses industry donations to select and fund individuals or organisations to help establish them as “a legitimate organization” that can spread ideas about “individual rights”, “limited government” and “free enterprise”.⁴⁵ In another letter to PMI, Chafuen and Executive Vice President Liggio stated “a culture of liberty can only exist if it nurtured, and it is the role of institutes, like those supported by Atlas, to carry on that important work.”⁴⁶

Atlas’ goal was to enable the sponsored think tanks to become “one of the first places opinion leaders and policy-makers go when they are looking for market-based solutions to difficult social, economic or environmental problems”.⁴⁵

Enhanced Philip Morris’ “Operating Environment”

Philip Morris has viewed Atlas’ activities as important for their business. One PMI document on ‘External Affairs’ discussed how the company could best shape the “political, regulatory and attitudinal environment”, and lists the Atlas Foundation as a possible partner that could help to achieve this goal.⁴⁷ Another PMI document explained that “the mission, ideals and activities of the foundation enhance an improved operating environment for all PM businesses”.⁴⁸

Events and Publications to Advance Industry Interests

A common activity of the Atlas Network has been to host, promote and publicise workshops, conferences and reports that promote neoliberalism and the role of think tanks, and advance tobacco manufacturers’ interests.⁴⁹ Atlas has also promoted partner events such as The Heartland Institute and Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance events on “Vaping and Harm Reduction”⁵⁰⁵¹ and the African Liberty Forum.⁵² In 2018, Atlas promoted the 26th State Policy Network (SPN) Annual Meeting which includes networking and discussion sessions sponsored by PMI and Altria, respectively.⁵³

Downplayed Second Hand Smoke/ Lung Cancer Risk

Internal tobacco industry documents show that Atlas worked on behalf of the tobacco industry following the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s 1993 report which found second hand smoke caused lung cancer.⁵⁴ In particular, Atlas had a close working relationship with the Science & Environmental Policy Project (SEPP) and its Director Dr Fred Singer.

SEPP was an organisation set up by PMI’s Public Relations (PR) firm APCO Associates.⁵⁵ Singer wrote an opinion editorial on “junk science and indoor air quality” which appears to have been commissioned by PMI.⁵⁶ He also prepared a report, funded by the Tobacco Institute, that discredited the second hand smoke/ lung cancer link reported by the EPA.⁵⁷⁵⁸⁵⁹ Atlas hosted events and conferences that enabled Singer’s claims to gain more prominence. For example, in 1997, the Atlas Network sponsored Singer to deliver a keynote at the launch of the Instituto Libertad y Desarollo’s new Environmental Centre in Chile.⁶⁰ The event was attended by many high profile national and international figures. Leading media outlets published or broadcast interviews with Singer, and “Atlas colleagues arranged meetings for him with senior officials and academics”.⁶⁰ Atlas also hosted a workshop in Beijing, China in April 1995, with Singer listed as a guest speaker.⁶¹ It is not clear whether Singer spoke about second hand smoke at these events. However, internal tobacco industry documents from 1994 shows PMI planned event and conference opportunities around the theme of “ETS Science/ Junk Science”, with Atlas Economic Research Foundation listed as a potential partner.⁶²⁶³

SEPP shared office space and the same physical address as Atlas for at least six years, between 1996 and 2002.⁶⁴⁶⁵ Singer was in Room 101, 4084 University Drive while Atlas was in Room 103.⁶⁶ According to corporate watchdog SourceWatch “Atlas provided a grant…to facilitate the move and help fund the organization during its first year in Fairfax”,⁶⁷ and SEPP was later transferred to the George Mason University.⁶⁷

Helped Oppose Tobacco Regulation in Latin America

Atlas appears to have played a particular role in helping the tobacco industry oppose tobacco control measures in Latin America.

In 1999, an internal PMI document shows the company intended to give the Atlas Network US$150,000.⁴⁸ Unknown, Request for Submission of Grant over $50,000, February 1999, Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Bates no: 2077467233, accessed August 2018[/ref] The memo states that PMI expected Atlas to use the funds to “positively impact the regulatory environment, particularly in Latin America”.⁴⁸ The document also states “in 1999 the Foundation will focus its activities on and assist think tanks and institutes specifically in Latin America….rule of law and litigation prevention issues have become increasingly topical in numerous Latin American countries.”⁴⁸ Another internal PMI document shows that in February 1999 Tom Borelli from PMI “discussed International Litigation Issues with Atlas Foundation”.⁶⁸

Around that time, BAT and PMI were working on the “Latin Project”, which aimed to deflect attention away from evidence suggesting second hand smoke was harmful to health, and delay or weaken laws to regulate second hand smoke.⁶⁹ Rocio Guijarro from Venezuelan think tank Centro de Divulgacion del Conocimiento Economico Para La Libertad (CEDICE), an Atlas partner, is on record as saying CEDICE had previously worked on publications “together with Atlas” on a project to do with “the war against the tobacco companies”.⁷⁰ Atlas hosted workshops in Latin America with speakers from CEDICE and other partners on ‘Think Tanks and Civil Society’ and ‘Challenges to the Open Society at the End of the Century’ in June 1998, which PMI Executive Matthew Winokur was invited to attend.⁷¹

Promoter of “Economic Benefit of Tobacco Industry”

In September 1998, BAT proposed to Atlas Network’s Chaufen and Liggio to organise an economic forum to debate the “most appropriate means of demonstrating the economic benefit of the tobacco industry”.⁷² Bob Orzakowski from the Tobacco Institute had recommended Atlas to BAT for facilitating similar seminars.⁷²

At the time, BAT was expecting the World Bank to publish its report ‘Curbing the Epidemic: Governments and the Economics of Tobacco Control’.⁷³⁷⁴ BAT wanted to use the outcome of the forum to “challenge the anti-smoking lobby (Bank, WHO) and to represent our position to Government in the best way”.⁷²

Chaufen and Liggio liked BAT’s suggestion of the forum, suggesting that “the debate include the drinks industry as well” and should include a “maximum of 30 scholars,
half from developing countries (to be selected by British American Tobacco?)”. BAT was happy for Atlas to invite their own contacts, noting that “this should not distract from our ‘control’ and nominations’.⁷² It is unclear if an actual event took place.

Affiliations

The Atlas Network has been closely associated with the Mont Pelerin Society, an international organisation of free-market economists, high government officials, business leaders and journalists with a declared objective of “strengthening the principles and practice of a free society”.⁷⁵ Four of the Atlas Network Board Members are or have been members of the Mont Pelerin Society, as have Atlas CEOs Brad Lips, Alejandro Chafuen, and (now deceased) Leonard Liggio.²³⁷⁶
The Atlas Network is also affiliated with the State Policy Network, a web of right-wing think tanks operating across the USA.⁷⁷⁷⁸

Relevant Link

• Atlas Network website

TobaccoTactics Resources

• Think Tanks
• Adam Smith Institute
• Centre for Policy Studies
• Consumer Choice Center
• Fraser Institute
• Institute of Economic Affairs
• Institute of Public Affairs
• National Center for Public Policy Research
• Reason Foundation
• The TaxPayers’ Alliance
• APCO Associates

References

The post Atlas Network appeared first on TobaccoTactics.

Background

WPP was founded in the 1980s and has acquired many powerful PR firms. In 2018 it was the parent company of more than 400 companies.
On its website, WPP states:

“Marketing is a powerful tool- with the ability to influence attitudes and behaviour. So it is important that our companies apply high ethical standards in all their work and particularly when marketing sensitive products such as alcohol or tobacco, or when creating advertising directed at children”.⁸⁰

WPP Companies That Worked for Tobacco

WPP is the parent company of several companies with longstanding links to the tobacco industry, including:⁸¹

Burson Cohn & Wolfe

PR company established in 2018 by a merger of two WPP PR agencies; Burson-Masteller (see below) and Cohn & Wolfe.

Burson Cohn & Wolfe’s work for industry includes:

• Working with Imperial Brands since 2020.
• Helping to facilitate a loan from a Philip Morris International to the Australian Retailers Association to lobby for the legalisation of heated tobacco and e-cigarettes in Australia.

See Burson Cohn & Wolfe page for more details.

Burson-Marsteller

PR company that worked with the tobacco industry for many years. Examples:

• In the 1990s, the company was responsible for setting up several fake grassroot organisations (an activity called Astroturfing) to lobby on the tobacco industry’s behalf including the National Smokers Alliance. For more information, see: Fake Grassroots in the 1990s.
• The company also tried to cast doubt in the media about the science around second hand smoke. More information on: Commissioning Content.
• It supported Philip Morris in its reporting on corporate social responsibility activities. See: Global Reporting Intitiative.

In 2010, Burson-Marsteller publicly stated it had ceased to work for tobacco companies.⁸²

Hill & Knowlton

See: Hill & Knowlton

JWT

Advertising firm J. Walter Thompson has worked with many tobacco clients over the years including Gallaher, now Japan Tobacco International (JTI).⁸³

Kantar

WPPs’ research and data collection arm Kantar has worked for tobacco companies like JTI and British American Tobacco. For more information, go to Kantar.

Landor

A branding and design consultancy which in 2018 worked for Philip Morris in Africa ⁸⁴ and helped Philip Morris Cos. rebrand to Altria in 2003.⁸⁵⁸⁶

Ogilvy and Mather

See: Ogilvy Group

WPP Company With Indirect Link To Tobacco

Kantar Public, another WPP company, undertook a 2018 ‘State of Smoking’ survey on behalf of the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World which is fully funded by Philip Morris International.⁸⁷

Former WPP Chairman Tobacco Executive

Hamish Maxwell, WPP chairman between 1996 and 2001, worked for Philip Morris for 41 years. He served as chairman and CEO of Philip Morris between 1984-1991.⁸⁸⁸⁹

TobaccoTactics Resources

• Astroturfing
• Fake Grassroots in the 1990s
• Commissioning Content
• Global Reporting Intitiative
• Ogilvy Group
• Hill & Knowlton
• Kantar
• Gallaher
• Altria
• Philip Morris International
• Foundation for a Smoke-Free World

Relevant Link

WPP website

References

The post WPP appeared first on TobaccoTactics.

The Freedom2Choose blog argues that it is a “blog supportive of the organisation called Freedom2Choose. Any resemblance to that organisation is purely coincidental.” It adds that “The opinions expressed by the authors on this blog and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of the Freedom2Choose organisation or any member thereof. Freedom2Choose is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the blog Authors.” ⁹⁰
Despite this disclaimer, the wallpaper for the blog includes the Freedom2Choose logo. The blog also includes an embedded link to the Freedom2Choose Twitter feed and links to Freedom2Choose’s Facebook site. ⁹¹

Death Threat Against ASH and Others

A screenshot of the article

In March 2012, the blog carried a post by an anonymous blogger, entitled “Snipper the Flappers!”. Written in response to a completely bizarre and ridiculously stupid comment piece in the Luton Herald & Post ⁹², arguing that smokers could be shot, the blog argued that certain tobacco control activists could be killed, writing that “Snipers could soon snuff out prohibitionists”.
In a sinister posting, the author also linked to websites about different types of automatic weapons:
“This is a very simple game indeed. All you need is to write to our extremely friendly billionaire who will furnish you with an “FD-200” or a “7.62Tkiv85″ (both highly effective at distance)” and then argued that “smaller arms are available if you fancy ‘seeing the whites of their eyes’; more personal thus more satisfaction guaranteed.”
The blogger also gave details of the offices of ASH, ASH Scotland, and ASH Wales, and denigrated them by calling them “termites”, “ASHites” and “Zealots”.
To make the post more intimidating it included pictures of ASH’s Chief Executive Deborah Arnott and Policy Director Martin Dockrell, Sheila Duffy the Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, the MSP Shona Robison, the Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne and others.
It also suggested someone be rewarded with points for killing people. “There is a scale as well, a hierarchy scale actually so if you bag a mere secretary you only get 2 pts but if you bag Arnott or Dockrell you get 25 pts … £250 for two ‘pops between the eyes’, it’s better than “You’ve been framed”! ⁹³
Although the post was by written by “anon”, the person who posted the piece was John Baker, who is given as the main contact for Freedom2Choose. ⁹⁴

Atherton Distances Himself

In response to the blog post, Dave Atherton, the chair of Freedom2Choose, was concerned enough to write:

“Assuming the blog has not been hacked I would like to make the following statement: As the header to http://freedom-2-choose.blogsp… says “A blog supportive of the organisation called Freedom2Choose. Any resemblance to that organisation is purely coincidental.” The Committee of Freedom2Choose and I, Dave Atherton its Chairman neither endorse nor condone the contents of this blog. I will go as far as saying I also criticise the contents too.” ⁹⁵

However, the death threat was not removed from the website. ⁹⁶

But Blog Agreed by Freedom2Choose, Say Members

Despite Atherton’s pronouncement that the blog is not endorsed by the organisation, members of the Freedom2Choose openly disagreed with this stance on an internal discussion forum, saying the blog had been approved by its coordinating committee, which had had a “major” say in its formation.

The Freedom2Choose forum

“Light-Hearted” Blog Post Removed

Days later, the blog post was removed with the following explanation: “A recent post entitled ‘Sniper the Flappers’ appeared here. The purpose of the post was to be satirical and the author meant it to be light hearted. If some readers took the post seriously and were offended then it is a matter of regret. Some of the offence can only be described as faux … Any offence is regretted, but similar regrets would be welcomed from the anti-smokers for the appalling way they have treated and are still treating people who smoke.” ⁹⁷

References

The post Freedom2Choose Blog appeared first on TobaccoTactics.

Pro-Smoking, Freedom-Loving but ‘Not Pro-Tobacco’

Freedom2Choose says it ‘seeks to protect the informed choices of consenting adults with sensible and achievable goals on the issues of smoking’.

We at Freedom2Choose do not represent either extreme of the passive smoke debate; we are not a pro-tobacco organisation funded by tobacco companies nor are we anti-smokers funded by drug companies. We are members of the public from all walks of life, professional through to working class, united in a determination to expose the myths that are currently leading to the removals of the freedoms of the people of this nation. ¹⁰⁰

We actively campaign to prevent victimisation of smokers, social division, social isolation and to alleviate the negative social and economic impacts of the smoking ban’. ¹⁰¹

Staff

2012

• Dave Atherton – Campaign Chairman ¹⁰¹
• Andy Davis – Vice Chairman¹⁰¹
• Phil Johnson – Former Chairman
• Helen Daniels – Press Officer
• Belinda Cunnison – Scotland convenor

2011

Phil Johnson was listed as chairman in 2011. He is reported to be 59, and has “smoked since he was 10 years old”. ¹⁰²¹⁰³
Its Scottish spokesman was Eddie Douthwaith.¹⁰⁴
An undated information sheet ¹⁰⁵ also listed the following staff:¹⁰⁶¹⁰⁷

• Andy Davis, Chairman
• Colin Grainger, Vice Chairman
• John Baker, Secretary
• Belinda Cunnison, Treasurer
• Helen Daniels, Press Office
• Steve Cross, Marketing
• Peter Jackson, Membership
• Ali Piearce, Internal Communications
• Phil Johnson, Club Liaison
• Gian Turci, International coordinator

Membership

In 2008, just after launching F2C had 127 members. ¹⁰⁸ Two years later its membership remained the same. ¹⁰⁹ Membership as of January 2012 was £10 a year (£5 junior). The contact person for memberships is Peter Jackson.¹¹⁰

Funded by Public Donations

According to Freedom2Choose’s website,

We are funded entirely by donations from the general public and have no connections whatsoever with the tobacco or pharmaceutical industries. Our membership consists of both smokers and non smokers. ¹⁰¹

Networking with FORCES

According to Dave Atherton, Freedom2Choose could have “become the UK branch of Forces, but instead he (Bob Feal-Martinez, the founder of Freedom2Choose) decided to set up a separate entity. But obviously we do know each other, we do swap emails, we are linked in to each other on facebook and we do swap information. You probably wouldn’t get in a cigarette paper between us in terms of differences.” ¹¹¹

On the UKIP Fringe

Atherton addressed a Freedom Association event on the fringe of the UKIP Conference in Torquay in 2010. Other speakers included Phil Booth of NO2ID and Alex Deane of Big Brother Watch. ¹¹²

A Respected and Feared Voice in Westminster?

Dave Atherton argues that:

“Freedom2Choose have been accepted as a mainstream pressure group and think tank in the Westminster Bubble. I have not heard one voice of dissent about an amendment to the smoking ban and many people such as Alex Deane of Big Brother Watch and Simon Richards of the Freedom Association are happy to promote our cause. They are all sympathetic and many people button hole me and say you are ‘the smoking bloke’. The Wednesday Meeting at The TaxPayers’ Alliance is the cream of the UK’s Centre-right think tanks and you can be aware that Freedom2Choose is on a list in the Conservative’s Central Office. Government know that they have a fight on their hands and I think my efforts will go to not expecting any new restrictions.”

He adds: “I have also made friends with a number of MPs and senior academics, and this has furthered our cause. I am hoping that I am now on the speaking circuit as I was at UKIP and spoke about how the smoking restrictions will find their way into drinking and eating next. In conclusion Freedom2Choose are now a respectable and feared voice in Westminster.” ¹¹³

A Force to be Reckoned With?

When Phil Johnson stepped down as chairman in October 2011, he wrote in his final newsletter that Freedom2Choose was “now definitely a force to be reckoned with” and “a constant thorn in the sides of anti-tobacco”. Looking back over the 21 months of his chairmanship, he wrote:

“The greatest achievement was the complete annihilation of one Councillor Paul Bartlett… That wonderful achievement has been bettered by the news that Councillor Bartlett has now received a vote of “no confidence” from his fellow councillors. Hitler died in his bunker and it looks very much like Bartlett has done likewise! And all for the right to have freedom2choose for oneself!”¹¹⁴

Paul Bartlett is a town councillor who in 2011 proposed a total smoking ban on the streets of Stony Stratford in Buckinghamshire.¹¹⁵
The incoming chairman Dave Atherton wrote: “F2C are a respected and credible campaigning group who are feared and respected by ASH and the Global Tobacco Link, which include junk scientists such as Professor Linda Bauld and Dr Anna Gilmore… we can only go from strength to strength and we can turn the tide of the anti-smokers.”¹¹⁶

The “Cream” of the Libertarian / Right

In his annual update for 2011, Atherton writes that “Crucially I have an invite to the “Wednesday Meeting” on which I cannot comment too much. It is the cream of the libertarian, centre-right and is a privilege to be invited. The TaxPayers’ Alliance, The Freedom Association, Big Brother Watch, the Institute of Economic Affairs to name but some. If I say it myself I have really raised the profile of smoking and the plight of smokers. It has also given me access to MPs and to a lesser extent junior ministers.” ¹¹⁷

Endorsements

The website says the campaign is endorsed by:

• Lord Stoddart
• Joe Jackson
• Earl Howe ¹¹⁸

On Facebook

Freedom2Choose is on Facebook, where it calls itself “a rapidly growing organisation, funded only by memberships, determined to stop the prohibitions being forced upon the people of this country”.

The “Non-affiliated Blog”

See also the Freedom2Choose Blog, and death threats against ASH and others.

References

The post Freedom2Choose appeared first on TobaccoTactics.