Stephen Metcalfe

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Stephen Metcalfe has been the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for South Basildon and East Thurrock (England) since May 2010.

Relationship with the Tobacco Industry

Accepted Tobacco Hospitality

In May 2011 he accepted two tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show worth £1,132.80 from Japan Tobacco International (JTI).1
JTI spent £23,000 entertaining MPs in the UK in six months during 2011.2 For more details, see Tobacco Industry Hospitality for UK Politicians.

Opposed Tobacco Control Measures in UK

Against Plain Packaging

Metcalfe was one of the 50 MPs who wrote to then Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in 2012 expressing serious concerns over plain packaging proposals.3

“There is no reliable evidence that plain packaging will have any public health benefit; no country in the world has yet to introduce it. However, such a measure could have extremely negative consequences elsewhere. The proposal will be a smuggler’s charter. … this policy threatens more than 5,500 jobs directly employed by the UK tobacco sector, and over 65,000 valued jobs in the associated supply chain. … Given the continued difficult economic climate, businesses should not be subjected to further red tape and regulation”

Voted Against Bill Banning Smoking in Cars Carrying Children

In June 2011, Metcalfe voted against a Private Member’s Bill banning smoking in cars carrying children.4 The Bill was supported by the British Lung Foundation.5

Against Display Ban

In December 2010 Metcalfe signed a letter demanding that the UK Government reconsider the tobacco display ban.6

Against Indoor Smoking Ban

In October 2010 Metcalfe voted for the smoking ban to be overturned.7
In November 2010 he signed an Early Day Motion calling for a review of the smoking ban.8

E-Cigarettes

Metcalfe was the Treasurer of the (APPG) for Vaping (E-Cigarettes) until he left the group in 2017.
He is also a member of the House of Commons Select Committee Science and Technology,9 which published an e-cigarettes report in August 2018 which found that e-cigarettes should not be treated in the same way as conventional cigarettes.10 Whereas some, including health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) have welcomed the report’s call for government to maximise the harm reduction potential for e-cigarettes,11 others have expressed concern about undue tobacco industry influence on the Committee’s proceedings via the UK Vaping Industry Association (of which all four main tobacco companies are a member, see (APPG) for Vaping (E-Cigarettes)).1213

TobaccoTactics Resources

Relevant Link

Profile of Stephen Metcalfe on TheyWorkForYou website.

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References

  1. ↑House of Commons Publications, Register of Members’ Financial Interests – 13th December 2011 report, 13 December 2011, accessed December 2011
  2. ↑Miles Goslett and Keith Gladdis, Tobacco firm gave thousands of pounds worth of hospitality to nine MPs who opposed smoking bill, Daily Mail, 23 November 2011, accessed December 2011
  3. ↑M. Barrett, 34 Conservative MPs write to Andrew Lansley to express “serious concerns” about plain tobacco packaging, ”Conservative Home”, 2 July 2012, accessed February 2015
  4. ↑Hansard, Smoking in Private Vehicles bill first reading in the House of Commons, 22 June 2011, accessed December 2011
  5. ↑British Lung Foundation, Alex Cunningham MP successfully tabled a motion to stop smoking in cars with children, press release, 22 June 2011, accessed December 2011
  6. ↑P. Goodman, Fifty Conservative MPs demand a free vote on shop tobacco display ban, ConservativeHome, 18 December 2010, accessed December 2011
  7. ↑J. Isaby, David Nuttall’s attempt to relax the smoking ban falls at the first hurdle – but 77 Tory MPs vote for his Bill (with 38 opposing it), ConservativeHome, 14 October 2010, accessed December 2011
  8. ↑House of Commons website,Early day motion 406 – Review of smoking ban in pubs and clubs, 6 July 2010, accessed December 2011
  9. ↑Commons Science and Technology Committee, Membership – Science and Technology Committee, UK Parliament website, undated, accessed August 2018
  10. ↑Commons Science and Technology Committee, Government missing opportunity with e-cigarettes, UK Parliament website, 17 August 2018, accessed August 2018
  11. ↑Action on Smoking and Health, Charity welcomes MPs call for Government to maximise the potential from e-cigarettes, Press Release 17 August 2018
  12. ↑C. Fernandez, MPs who backed calls for looser laws around vaping are attacked over their links to the industry, The Daily Mail, 18 August 2018, accessed August 2018
  13. ↑S. Knapton, Let e-cigarette users vape in officer and buses, say MPs in controversial report, The Telegraph, 17 August 2018, accessed August 2018

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