Of course Opposition parliamentarians & the press commentators will have their fun with it, but there does not seem to have been much Shock! Horror! from the public. Even Radio 4’s own Feedback found that ‘listeners weren't concerned about what he said on Desert island Discs about his inability to give up smoking’. Of course since something like a quarter of all adults still smoke, to many that would seem to be like criticising someone they know & like.
It is perhaps slightly more of a surprise that the anti-smoking brigade have not been making more of it. But since they can hardly say that Nick Clegg is too ignorant to understand the risks, & since much, if not most, of their funding comes from the government they would need to think twice before criticising the deputy prime minister. And if they took him on in a public debate they might run the risk of finding many voters would say ‘I agree with Nick.’
What did take me by surprise was Kirsty Young’s reaction: ‘I will make sure that you have a plentiful supply of matches.’ Surely only an ex (or, whisper it, a fellow secret-smoker) would understand that the only thing worse than no cigarettes is a cigarette & nothing to light it with.
Links
Desert Island discs – Nick Clegg
Who we are Smokefree North West
Charm offensive? Nick Clegg on Desert Island Discs
Desert Island discs – Nick Clegg
Who we are Smokefree North West
Charm offensive? Nick Clegg on Desert Island Discs
Related post
Lighting up time
Lighting up time
