“The final nails have now been hammered into the coffin of the freedom to smoke in enclosed public places. This piece of legislation must be one of the most restrictive, spiteful and socially divisive imposed by any British Government. It was totally unnecessary because viable alternatives exist to achieve the same objectives but the Government were deaf to these alternatives and refused to consider them seriously.
“Instead this supine Government and Parliament capitulated to the bigoted anti-smoking lobby which used junk science, a battery of doubtful statistics and unwarranted and unproven assertions by the medical profession that frightened the general public into believing that a mere whiff of tobacco smoke would give them cancer or some other nasty disease.
“This witch-hunt of smokers has set the stage for attacks on other lifestyles especially drinking alcohol, being overweight, children’s eating regimes, motoring etc and these witch-hunts are undermining the free and tolerant society which Britain has been noted for over such a long period of time.
“People disregard the withdrawal of rights they have enjoyed for so long at their peril and I admire the courage and commitment of “Freedom to Choose” who are continuing the fight against authoritarianism, including their attempt to get a judicial review of the smoking ban. I wish them every success.”
— Lord Stoddart of Swindon
9th March 2007