Returned to the Commons - unlike many of his colleagues, including former PM Liz Truss - John Glen MP now sits in a decimated parliamentary party, and opines in the Journal of July 18 (page 55), that "plans to create a smokefree generation" should go forward.
Fans of Star Wars may note the marked similarity to a generation of clones being "created" on Kamino. Subsequent generations, like earlier ones, consist of people with civil rights. They surely have the right to any lesser "harmful" activity.
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Governments legitimately restrict activity that harms others; their role is not that of an adult, presiding on a play-pen.
Further, any attempt to ban smoking will create a black market just as in the US's ill-advised attempt at prohibiting alcohol.
By supporting this ill-advised measure, John Glen betrays Conservative principles. I recently resigned from his party's Salisbury Executive and from the party over this issue; taken together with a clear breach of internal procedure, of which the chairman, Chris Town is well aware and which he refuses to investigate.
Thank God, however, that the ill-fated plan to send people to Rwanda, which the Supreme Court found to be unsafe, is not now going to be resurrected.
As one of few remaining Conservative MPs, Mr Glen ought to go back to Conservative principles.
Tom Curr
Fowler's Road
Salisbury
Send letters by email to newsdesk@salisburyjournal.co.uk or by post to Editor, Salisbury Journal, Suite B (Ground Floor), Milford House, Milford Street, Salisbury, SP1 2BP.
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