After ignoring me for many months yesterday the BBC sprung into life and wanted my views on the proposed change of law over the sale of tobacco. Why? I have never written or spoken about this matter. I have not been lobbying on it, and there was nothing on my website or tweets that morning to arouse interest before they rang.
They seemed ill informed about the proposal as they asked about a proposal to ban tobacco. I explained the proposal was to increase limits on the sale of tobacco by stopping anyone under 14 from ever buying it during their lives, on top of the current ban on sales to anyone under 18. It only becomes a ban on sales for all after around 90 years have passed. It is not a proposal to criminalise smoking.
I said I wanted to hear how it would be enforced as retailers would need to be able to judge ages as the age of permitted purchasing went up, and would want to know what the penalties were going to be. They then gave up pursuing it.
I reminded them that I set out daily views, and offer stories like the big losses on bonds by the Bank, the problems with carbon accounting and with some self defeating so called green products and services , and the productivity collapse in public services which they ignore.
I was also telephoned and offered a BBC interview last Sunday. I asked what it would be about and this was unclear. I said I could do an interview from home on line on the Sunday or at the conference on Monday, as they sounded keen to interview in Manchester. They said they would get back to me, but never did. Why?
BBC Radio Berkshire did want an interview on rents, housing and the PM's speech, which I did undertake yesterday morning with ten minutes notice.
