The Freedom Association's 'Freedom to Vape' campaign has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Health Secretary urging them to abandon plans to introduce a vape tax. 

In a joint letter to Philip Hammond and Matt Hancock signed by the Institute of Economic Affairs, TaxPayers' Alliance, Centre for Policy Studies, Adam Smith Institute, New Nicotine Alliance, UK Vaping Industry Association, and The Freedom Association, the Government was reminded that it "must continue to be an international standard-bearer for harm reduction public health policy". 

I use an acid test when judging cabinet ministers. Would they have served in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet? Margaret Thatcher always surrounded herself with competent ministers, and those who were found wanting didn’t remain in office for very long. She hated sycophancy, and she would not have tolerated a cabinet colleague pleading for their job for an hour and a half during a ministerial reshuffle.

Although I do not believe that Margaret Thatcher would have wanted to move Jeremy Hunt from his position. He has faced down the unions and defends the NHS to the hilt. He may not be a card carrying Freedom Association member, but he’s not a Remoaner; he’s not trying to derail Brexit and he is a highly intelligent man. A cabinet full of Jeremy Hunt’s would not be my cup of tea, but compared to the current batch, it would be an improvement.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Michael Gove has said that Britain risks becoming an outdated "VHS economy" if it accepts calls by big business for the UK to be closely aligned with the EU after Brexit. He's right. The CBI is about as corporatist as it gets. Those big businesses who run the CBI love all the rules and regulations cascading from Brussels. It prevents many rivals from entering the marketplace. The CBI wants barriers to free trade. The CBI is a 1980s car phone in a smartphone age.

The CBI, of course, does have its supporters in Government. Philip Hammond being its main cheerleader. Here's a section from today's Telegraph: