The government has made two recent U-turns on public health issues. The first is minimum alcohol pricing, plans for which were scrapped in March amid rumours of a rebellion by senior Tories including home secretary Teresa May.
The government has made two recent U-turns on public health issues. The first was on minimum alcohol pricing, plans for which were scrapped in March amid rumours of a rebellion by senior Tories including home secretary Teresa May.
Despite its popularity with health groups, minimum alcohol pricing wasn’t all that popular with the electorate, as the graph below shows. Half of those polled last week by YouGov for the Sunday Times opposed the introduction of a minimum price, compared to 39 per cent who supported the proposal.
It’s fairly credible to assume the government may have dropped the policy on the basis that it might cost votes.
The same, however, cannot be said for the decision to drop plain cigarette packaging. The government unexpectedly left plans to introduce plain packaging out of last week’s Queen’s Speech, despite the fact that the measure appears popular with the electorate.
Over half of those questioned in the same YouGov poll supported the removal of coloured branding from cigarette packets, compared to just a quarter who opposed it.
So what did change the government’s mind on plain packaging? After all, as the Guardian reported last week, at least one health minister had been briefing that the bill would be in last week’s Queen’s speech.
The answer may be lobbying by big tobacco. As the same article goes on to say:
“Department of Health minutes released last week reveal that Imperial Tobacco, British American Tobacco (BAT), Philip Morris International and Japan Tobacco International were each invited to make representations to the government, in which they attacked the plan and its impact on the UK economy.”
11 Responses to “Did lobbying scupper plain cigarette packaging?”
Angela Harbutt
1.There has been no “u-turn” on plain packaging? The Government committed to a public consultation on plain packaging. It did not commit to introducing plain packaging.
2. Re the YouGov poll… Not surprising that the kneejerk reaction is as stated. When you actually explain the issues in any detail to the public they soon realise the policy is rather daft. I suspect the Govt has done a lot more than ask one (understandably) simplistic question. As stated by others, the consultation prompted an unprecedented 500,000 responses opposing the policy (compared to 200,000 responses in favour).
3. 4 tobacco companies were invited in to meet with low-level civil
servants at the Dept of Health to discuss whether the companies could
provide any further information to inform the impact assessment on
tobacco packaging. If low level civil servants wield that much influence
we are in trouble.
4. The last Labour government considered plain packaging as one of
several possible tobacco control policies and, in 2009, it rejected it. I also did not notice plain packaging in the alternative Queens speech issued earlier this month by the Labour party.
Simon Cooke
Plain packaging was opposed by:
The police because of the risks of more counterfeiting and smuggling
The unions because of the threat to jobs
The packaging industry (see above)
Over half a million people who took the time to make representation to the consultation
For sure the tobacco industry was opposed – not because plain packs would hurt their position but because it hampers the way in which brands operate (none of which has anything to do with people taking up the habit)
And on the polling it rather depends on the question you ask – I wouldn’t trust any poll conducted by YouGov on smoking (not THERE is an interest fully played out)
You’ll find a little more detail and all the links here:
http://theviewfromcullingworth.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/the-police-unions-business-and-public.html
Simon Cooke
Plain packaging was opposed by:
The police because of the risks of more counterfeiting and smuggling
The unions because of the threat to jobs
The packaging industry (see above)
Over half a million people who took the time to make representation to the consultation
For sure the tobacco industry was opposed – not because plain packs would hurt their position but because it hampers the way in which brands operate (none of which has anything to do with people taking up the habit)
And on the polling it rather depends on the question you ask – I wouldn’t trust any poll conducted by YouGov on smoking (not THERE is an interest fully played out)
You’ll find a little more detail and all the links here:
http://theviewfromcullingworth.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/the-police-unions-business-and-public.html
Simon Cooke
Plain packaging is not in the draft EU tobacco control directive. There’s a whole lot of lobbying to get it in there but the people in charge of trade and markets tell them it’s not allowed
SadButMadLad
That one minister who has been briefing that the bill would be in the speech is Anna Soubry who has no right to speak out before a consultation has finished. The government rules are explicit in order to allow everyone to have a fair chance of representation. Anna’s speaking out of turn shows that the lobbying is working, from the anti-tobacco groups.