Enforcement bodies and trading standards report that most UK residents live within minutes of illicit tobacco sources.
The law would generate confusion, resentment, and most dangerously, opportunity for those already profiting from the island’s thriving illicit tobacco trade.
Cousin marriage is not a private matter when it affects entire communities and generations. Those calling for reform are not outsiders meddling in someone else’s culture but often members of the very same communities, tired of watching suffering mislabelled as heritage.
Our town halls have become bloated and inefficient, whilst as the same time, stretched too thin.
We have become so accustomed to nanny state legislation that we don’t realise how weird Britain has become. Most of supposedly dirigiste Europe is a haven of liberty by comparison.
Last week, a man was jailed for 12 years after he secretly poisoned a woman with mail-order abortifacients and caused her to miscarry in hospital. MPs must urgently restore proper medical oversight.
The fact is that the country needs a strong, vibrant Scotch whisky industry – where distillers have the certainty and confidence to invest and drive economic growth.
Conservatives should reaffirm our belief in liberty but also in fiscal restraint and, above all, fostering personal responsibility.
Ridding the world of smoking is the public health opportunity of this century. But, if we fail to map out a sustainable path to a smoke-free future, then it will forever remain out of reach.
It would have numerous benefits: a country where we don’t have to worry about the air we breathe, a stronger workforce, and improvements to businesses’ bottom line.
In a crowded marketplace, simplicity and consistency of message are vital. Yet the manifesto commitment to a smoking ban denied us one of the last distinguishable arguments we could have used to turn out our core vote.
Increased regulation has an easy appeal. Whenever there is some issue, big or small, there is a natural inclination to want to stop it. A quick rule or regulation seems like an easy and popular fix.
When the British public votes for the Conservative Party, they expect them to rule as conservatives. What they don’t expect is for the Tories to infantalise the public and take on the role of a glorified nanny
Labour’s grassroots members are increasingly disillusioned by what they see as a retreat from core principles. Leadership may attempt to downplay dissent, but the growing rebellion suggests the discontent is too widespread to ignore.