Karl McCartney

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Karl McCartney was the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Lincoln, England, from May 2010 to June 2017.

Relationship with the Tobacco Industry

Accepted Tobacco Hospitality

In May 2011, McCartney accepted two tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show, and associated lunch, 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 information, see Tobacco Industry Hospitality for UK Politicians.

Opposed Tobacco Control Measures in the UK

Voted Against Amendments to Children and Families Bill 2014

In February 2014, McCartney was one of only 24 MPs who voted against tabled amendments to the Children and Families Bill which would enable the UK government to:3

1. Introduce regulations requiring plain packaging for tobacco products;

2. Introduce regulations making it an offence to sell e-cigarettes to children under 18;

3. Make it an offence for an adult to buy cigarettes for anyone under the age of 18 (proxy purchasing).45

The Bill was passed with 453 MPs voting in favour of the amendments.

Against Plain Packaging

McCartney was one of the 50 MPs who wrote to then Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in 2012 expressing serious concerns over plain packaging proposals.6

“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.”

Against Display Ban

In December 2010, McCartney signed a letter demanding that the UK Government reconsider the tobacco display ban.7

Against SmokeFree Legislation

In October 2010, McCartney voted for the smoking ban to be overturned.8

TobaccoTactics Resources

Relevant Link

Profile of Karl McCartney on TheyWorkForYou website.

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References

  1. ↑House of Commons Publications,Register of Members’ Financial Interests – 13th December 2011, 13 December 2011, accessed December 2011
  2. ↑M. Goslett, K. 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. ↑Hansard,Children and Families Bill (Programme No. 3), House of Commons Debates, 10 February 2014, accessed February 2015
  4. ↑S. MacGuill. House of Enablers – Does anything now go for tobacco control in the UK? Euromonitor International, 11 February 2014
  5. ↑Smokefree Action Coalition. SFAC welcomes Parliament’s support for a package of measures to reduce smoking and protect children. Smokefree Action Coalition News, 10 February 2014
  6. ↑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
  7. ↑P. Goodman, Fifty Conservative MPs demand a free vote on shop tobacco display ban, ConservativeHome, 18 December 2010, accessed December 2011
  8. ↑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

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