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=FOREST | REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2024=

TOBACCO AND VAPES BILL – CALL FOR EVIDENCE

2024 has been another busy year with not one but TWO Tobacco and Vapes Bills to address.

The first was instigated by Rishi Sunak but abandoned when he called an early general election. The second was introduced by the new Labour government and covers pretty much the same ground, including a ban on the sale of tobacco to all future generations of adults, and – potentially – further restrictions on smoking in outdoor spaces.

We enjoyed a small victory when the Government backed away from a plan to ban smoking outside pubs, but we are not complacent. We know from previous experience that anti-smoking peers could introduce amendments to the Bill when it passes through the House of Lords, so we remain vigilant – as indeed should the hospitality industry.

Before that the Bill will go to Committee, which offers another opportunity for amendments to be tabled. If you wish to make a written submission to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee it is not too late, but the sooner the better. According to the UK Parliament ([link removed]) website:

The first sitting of the Public Bill Committee is expected to be on Tuesday 7 January 2025 and the Committee will report the Bill by 5pm on Thursday 30 January 2025. However, please note that when the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the deadline of 5pm on Thursday 30 January 2025. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible.

In the meantime we wish you a very happy new year.

Simon Clark
Director, Forest

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HOUSE RULES

In February Forest hosted a small reception in the House of Commons. Sponsored by Philip Davies MP (now Sir Philip ([link removed]) ), the aim of the event was to promote our campaign against the generational tobacco ban.

Unfortunately, come the day, Philip discovered he was double-booked (!) so we were relieved and extremely grateful when Giles Watling, MP for Clacton, stepped in to ensure the event could go ahead.

In addition to Giles (who subsequently lost his seat to Nigel Farage in the general election), the featured speakers were Baroness Fox, director of the Academy of Ideas, and Reem Ibrahim of the Institute of Economic Affairs.

Other guests included representatives of various think tanks and pressure groups including the Adam Smith Institute, TaxPayers Alliance, Consumer Choice Center, Students for Liberty, LSE Hayek Society, and Blue Beyond, a grassroots initiative that engages with young Conservatives.

Describing the event as ‘lively, going on boisterous at times ([link removed]) ’, journalist George Gay wrote:

The UK’s proposed generational tobacco products ban was variously described as nuts, insane, ludicrous, mad, illiberal, impractical and petty minded by speakers …

Amusingly, a backdrop banner that featured multiple illustrations of Rishi Sunak pushing an adult in a pram while dressed as a nanny was seized by security staff on the grounds that it was "offensive". Guido Fawkes has the story here ([link removed]) .

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SAY NO TO NANNY!

[link removed] to the second reading of Rishi Sunak's Tobacco and Vapes Bill in April, Forest lobbied members of parliament by sending a leaflet (right) with a covering letter to every Conservative MP who, unlike their Labour counterparts, had been given a free vote.

The Bill was opposed by 57 Tory MPs with many more choosing not to vote until the third reading. Philip Davies, one of the latter, sent us this message ([link removed]) :

This legislation is utterly absurd. Not only is it illiberal, and a triumph for the nanny state – treating adults as children – it is also completely unenforceable.

In years to come are we really expecting shops to ask 51-year-olds for ID to ensure they are not 50? Are trading standards going to send in 48-year-olds to see if a rogue shop sells them a packet of fags despite them being three years below the new age limit?

I look forward to voting against this nonsensical and embarrassing Bill at third reading.

Meanwhile ...
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BEAT THE BAN SUMMER LUNCH

Given the political situation, the Forest Summer Lunch at Boisdale of Belgravia was brought forward to May to coincide with the introduction of Rishi Sunak's Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

A full house (60 guests) attended the event which began with drinks on the smoking terrace and continued in the main restaurant before we returned to the terrace after lunch. (The last guests left around six hours later.)

Principal speakers were Mark Littlewood (above), director of Popular Conservatism, and the IEA's Reem Ibrahim, and we also heard from Olivia Lever (director, Blue Beyond), retailer Paul Cheema, and Tatiana Camacho, secretary-general of the Imported Tobacco Products Advisory Council (ITPAC).

Tobacco Reporter covered the event here (Food for thought ([link removed]) ) but little did we know that 24 hours later the prime minister would call a general election on 4th July, thereby sinking one of the flagship bills he hoped would leave a lasting personal legacy!

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MESSING ABOUT ON THE RIVER

The Forest boat party, Smoke On The Water, returned in October after a hiatus of seven years.

The event ran annually from 2011 to 2017 but we brought it back because we thought it might be a good way to engage with the new generation of parliamentary staffers, many of whom are new to parliament following the general election.

Embarking at Westminster Pier, the 180 guests included several MPs, 40-50 staffers, plus friends of Forest and representatives of all the leading think tanks.

Representing the next generation, our featured speakers (below) were Reem Ibrahim (Institute of Economic Affairs), Sam Bidwell (Adam Smith Institute), Josh Cheshire (Students for Liberty), and Jonathan Heywood (former national secretary, Labour Students).

Our speakers denounced both the gen ban and the plan to ban smoking outside pubs and within days it was reported that the latter had been dropped – fancy that!!

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MEDIA MATTERS

The announcement of a ban on the sale of tobacco to future generations of adults sparked a frenzy of media interviews when the policy was announced by prime minister Rishi Sunak at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester in October 2023.

Forest director Simon Clark appeared on BBC Breakfast (BBC1), the Five Live phone-in (with Nicky Campbell), BBC Radio Kent, BBC Radio Manchester, BBC Radio London, BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Radio Scotland, Channel 5 News, TalkTV, Times Radio, and Sky News Radio.

Our reaction to Sunak's announcement (PM accused of "creeping prohibition" ([link removed]) ) was also reported by BBC News, ITV News, Sky News, MailOnline, Daily Express, Financial Times, Daily Telegraph, Independent, The Sun, Daily Record, Press Association, Wales Online, Perspective Magazine, Reason Magazine, Washington Examiner and many more.

This year our response to the announcement of the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill was reported by the Press Association and, via the PA, the London Evening Standard, Lancashire Telegraph, Bristol Post, and many other regional titles. Our response was also reported by the trade press including Asian Trader and Convenience Store.

Following the second reading of the Bill in April, we were interviewed by, among others, Sky News, Channel 5 News, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Look North, and Times Radio. Forest director Simon Clark also discussed the issue on the Five Live phone-in.

At other times, and on other stories, we have been interviewed or quoted by BBC News, BBC Scotland, BBC Guernsey, ITV Wales, The Times, Telegraph, The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Guardian, Independent, iNews, LBC, GB News, Times Radio, MailOnline, Tobacco Journal International, and many local and regional titles.

Our campaign against an extension of the smoking ban to beer gardens included an article on the Chamber UK website: 'Why extending the smoking ban to outdoor areas is a threat to pubs, clubs, and local democracy ([link removed]) '.

We also featured several times in Tobacco Reporter. Despite changing attitudes to smoking, Forest still has an important role to play, Simon Clark told European editor George Gay in the September issue.

In a wide-ranging interview, Clark addressed a number of subjects including the generational ban on the sale of tobacco, reduced risk products, and the future of Forest.

To read the article online click here ([link removed]) .
[link removed]

In Ireland we have been interviewed on RTE Radio 1, Newstalk, Radio Kerry, East Coast FM, Dublin's 104FM, Limerick Today, LMFM, and Cork's 96FM.

Director Simon Clark also appeared on The Tonight Show, Virgin Media One's flagship current affairs programme.

Elsewhere we have been quoted by Newstalk, Irish Examiner, Irish Daily Mail, Irish Mirror, and TheJournal.ie.

In October our response ([link removed]) to a "brutal" and "counter-productive" increase in tobacco duty was reported by the Irish Daily Mail, with Forest also quoted by Ian O'Doherty in The Spectator:

In an increasingly puritanical Ireland, that massive price hike has attracted little attention. In fact, the only anger has been coming from smokers themselves and organisations such as Forest, who often appear like the last of the Mohicans when it comes to advocating for a smoker’s basic human right to enjoy a fag without being persecuted or penalised by the eternal-health fantasists of the government and their prohibitionist allies.

See Ireland’s puritanical attack on smokers ([link removed]) (The Spectator).
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[link removed]

Earlier this year Forest director Simon Clark was interviewed by the IEA's Chris Snowdon for The Swift Half podcast.

As well as discussing what Simon did before joining Forest, they talked about the generational tobacco ban and the threat of outdoor smoking bans.

To watch the 30-minute podcast click here ([link removed]) or on the image above. An audio only version is available on the usual platforms.
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QUESTION TIME

In October, before the Government backtracked on plans to ban smoking outside pubs, research commissioned by Forest asked the question:

As you can see, opinion was split but it was a far cry from the claim – repeated ad nauseam by many in the media – that a substantial majority of people supported the policy.

Guido was first ([link removed]) with the story, which was also reported by The Sun here:

[link removed]

Responding to another Forest poll concerning the sale of tobacco to future generations of adults, the result – which we shared with MPs, journalists and broadcasters – was clear:
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SPEAKERS CORNER

In October we took part in a panel discussion hosted by the TaxPayers Alliance at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

Chaired by the TPA's Benjamin Elks, other speakers were Joseph Dinnage (deputy editor, Cap X), Emily Fielder (Adam Smith Institute), and Andrew Rosindell MP.

“Over the next few years,” Clark told the audience, “there is an opportunity for the Tories to create clear blue water between the Conservative Party and parties that want to restrict our freedoms.

“The problem is, Conservative politicians often defend individual freedoms when in opposition, but as soon as they’re in power they change their tune, or accept the status quo they’ve inherited.”

To read his comments in full, click here ([link removed]) .

Other speaking engagements in 2024 included a lively discussion hosted by the LSE Hayek Society at the Old Bank of England pub in London.

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GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

We were sorry to hear that General Sir Mike Jackson, former head of the British Army, had died in October. He was 80.

In 2012 Sir Mike was the principal guest speaker at the Forest Freedom Dinner at Boisdale of Canary Wharf.

Amusingly, one of the guests was a journalist from the Scotsman who managed to turn an off-the-cuff remark into a minor diplomatic incident:

The former commander of Britain’s armed forces, General Sir Mike Jackson, has caused controversy after he referred to Scotland as “north Britain” in a speech in London.

In an aside on the diplomatic benefits of whisky, the general referred to it as the drink which comes from “as I insist on calling it, north Britain”.

Needless to say this didn’t go down well with the SNP whose Westminster leader Angus Robertson told the paper:

“Describing Scotland as north Britain went out of fashion a long time ago, even for Unionists. I doubt that the anti-independence campaign will be pleased by their latest supporter and his derogatory intervention.”

Either way, our speaker was good value and he seemed to enjoy himself, suggesting that the world would be a better place if people were allowed to take responsibility for their own actions.

Civil servants and senior politicians, he added, are guilty of micro-managing our lives and we are the poorer for it.

Others who have died this year include journalist Pete Clark ([link removed]) , writer and critic Alexander Waugh ([link removed]) , and vaping activist Andy Morrison ([link removed]) . Our condolences to all their families and friends.
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LORD HARRIS – A TRIBUTE

This month marked the centenary of the birth of Lord Harris of High Cross.

Born in December 1924, Ralph was chairman of Forest from 1987 until his death, aged 81, in 2006.

A lifelong pipe smoker, he was one of the founders of the Institute of Economic Affairs in 1956. Forest director Simon Clark paid tribute to him here:

Born December 10, 1924, Lord Harris of High Cross would have been 100 today ([link removed])

Above: Lord Harris (second left) with John Farquhar Munro, Lib Dem MSP; Charles Maclean, spokesman for Scottish Forest (2000-2001); and Brian Monteith MSP who was Charles' predecessor as our spokesman in Scotland. The picture was taken in Edinburgh in 2000.
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IN WITH THE NEW

[link removed]

Eagle-eyed followers may have noticed that Forest launched a new website in 2024.

You'll find all our news releases, some recommended reading, information about recent events, and more.

Click here ([link removed]) .
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GUIDO AT 20

Political website Guido Fawkes celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.

The site has always been sympathetic to smokers' rights and 2024 was no exception. Reports this year included:

Brits back smoker rights ([link removed]) (25th November)
Brits light up Starmer's bully state smoking ban ([link removed]) (25th October)
Killjoy Starmer set on 'bully state' smoking ban ([link removed]) (29th August)
Philip Davies lights up Sunak's smoking ban ([link removed]) (22nd May)
S ([link removed]) moking banners run from scrutiny ([link removed]) (25th April)
Sunak's smoke and mirrors ban ([link removed]) (1st March)
Parliament security snatches nanny Sunak ([link removed]) (8th February)

If you have a moment, the stories above are worth reading. Several even include quotes from Forest.

See also: Guido Fawkes – end of an era ([link removed])

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BOISDALE AT 35

One of the great attractions of Boisdale, the bar restaurant with which Forest has enjoyed a close and convivial relationship for 20 years, is the smoking terrace.

In 2007, following the introduction of the indoor smoking ban, MD Ranald Macdonald (pictured above at a Forest dinner) spent £40,000 building a dedicated smoking terrace at the original, Belgravia, restaurant. It was a risk but it paid off and the smoking terrace at Boisdale of Canary Wharf, which opened a few years later, has been equally popular.

Our first event at Boisdale, in 2004, was a private dinner party attended by, among others, artist David Hockney and the late, Oscar-winning screenwriter, Sir Ronald Harwood.

Since then we've organised numerous events at the Belgravia and Canary Wharf restaurants, many of them co-hosted by Ranald himself.

Highlights have included a gala dinner for 200 guests to mark Forest's 40th birthday in 2019, plus parties for up to 300 guests to mark our 30th and 35th anniversaries.

This year Boisdale celebrated its own milestone because it's 35 years since the Belgravia restaurant opened in 1989.

We are immensely grateful to Ranald, and Boisdale, for continuing to accommodate smokers in comfort on those heated terraces, and long may our working relationship continue!

See also: Boisdale turns 35 ([link removed]) and On this day ... 15 years ago ([link removed]) .

Above: Boisdale MD Ranald Macdonald; below: the smoking terrace at Boisdale of Belgravia following the Forest lunch in May 2024

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NO TIME TO DIE

The December 2024 issue of Tobacco Reporter is, sadly, the very last one.

The magazine, whose lineage can be traced back to 1874, has been very helpful to Forest and its demise means we have lost an important communication tool.

This year alone both print and online editions have featured several articles about our work including an interview with director Simon Clark (Unfinished business ([link removed]) ).

Other articles have included Food for thought ([link removed]) (May 2024) and An outbreak of sanity ([link removed]) (December 2024).

[link removed]'Looked at from this point of view,' wrote European editor George Gay following our Smoke On The Water boat party in October, 'it is difficult to overestimate the importance of Forest and the way it operates.'

Previous articles about Forest include Hear, hear ([link removed]) (August 2022), Celebrating choice ([link removed]) (August 2019) and Rebel with a cause ([link removed]) (December 2017).

Thanks to George, editor Taco Tunistra, and publisher Elise Rasmussen for their support.

See also: Stubbed out - world’s oldest tobacco trade magazine to close ([link removed])
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AND FINALLY ...

If there was a Forest award for Tweet of the Year it might well go to Harry Cole, political editor of The Sun, who posted this on X:

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