England going smoke free

Just saw an public information ad on the TV for England's impending smoking ban - here, the ban is just a part of life, which I suppose I've come to take for granted. No longer do your clothes reek when you've popped in for a drink; no longer does the other side of the room appear like some kind of hazy mirage in nightclubs; no fear of ruining your clothes (or in one incident, the skin on my face!) through someone's stray cigarette hand; and, most importantly of all, fresher air. I would admit it was a bit tough getting used to the other less appealing olfactory experiences which cigarette smoke used to mask!

It's a shame that it's taken England so long to catch up with this legislation. I wonder whether it's because of the attitude of former ministers like John Reid, or because the government believe people there will protest - given campaigns like that of the metric martyrs and UKIP, maybe there's more potential for rebellion on issues like this down south.

The Publican Party (which aimed to revoke the smoking ban) got 5,905 votes in the Scottish Parliament elections. I'm not sure whether this represents a significant minority, or just a minority. In any case, actual rebellion against the ban doesn't seem to have happened in Scotland. It'll be interesting to see what happens across the border.