Labour have at a stroke got every shop keeper in the land to vote for someone else thanks to this gem:
The removal of cigarettes from public display is a step closer after MPs said vending machines should be banned and shops should keep stocks out of sight.The National Federation of Newsagents (membership 18,000) did at least try to warn Labour
"If the vote on Monday goes against newsagents - our 18,000 members - then they will vote with their feet. This will be very bad news for Gordon Brown."
The Association of Convenience Stores (membership 33,500) aren't happy, either.
ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “The Minister has proposed regulations that are the most inflexible of their type anywhere in the world. It makes a mockery of the repeated reassurances that Ministers have made to Parliament and businesses that they will take a light touch approach to compliance.”
They lobbied, they persuaded, they argued, they pleaded. They begged for the government lies surrounding the matter to stop. They were completely ignored. And just for good measure, Labour decided to destroy the vending machine industry entirely too, without even going through the tedious motions of a vote.
The vending machine amendment to the government's Health Bill was passed by the Commons without going to a vote.
There you go folks, lobby, complain to MP's and they ignore you.
Now lets be honest here it's not going to stop any existing smoker walking in Mr Khan's corner shop and ordering his or her regular brand of coffin nails. The wee little ones, bless em will still find ways to get smokes so they can hang about outside The Spar trying to look hard.
No amount of PCSO's and council snoops will ever stop that.
All this has managed to go is pass a cost onto the shop keepers, piss them off and show the thousands of Mr Khan's who run corner shops that Labour have nothing to say to them, do not represent them and aside from taxing lots of tax from his business offer him nothing in return.
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2 people have spoken:
Not just 18,000 shopkeepers but also their many customers who like to pop in for a chat and just guess what the conversation will be about from now until the election ?
As you imply, these moves will do nothing whatever to stop youngsters aquiring tobacco but it will increase its forbidden fruit alure just like weed and heroin.
True, when I was a kid I had no problem getting hold of the demon weed an as I see kids puffing away each day, they still have no problem getting hold of it.
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