Will we soon be living in a society where cops ignore potheads but swoop on outdoor smokers?
What are cops and ministers smoking?
WILL we soon be living in a society where police turn a blind eye to potheads but swoop on outdoor cigarette-smokers?
This will surprise no one who has walked through our cities or seaside resorts and caught the unmistakable whiff of weed, now openly smoked across the UK.
But the fact remains that this increasingly potent drug is both illegal and harmful.
Cannabis creates massive health problems for an already fully stretched NHS and leads abusers to turn to even more dangerous and addictive drugs.
But because trendy liberals are clamouring for it to be legalised — despite the alarming experiences of other countries — the police seem happy to tolerate it.
In stark contrast, Labour’s planned ban on smoking tobacco in outdoor public spaces opens the door to police collaring people for lighting up in a park or outside a football game.
Even if the police had the resources, they should be nabbing those who persistently break existing laws.
There is a clear role for sensible public health edicts, such as a ban on takeaways next to schools.
But this meddling anti-tobacco crusade restricts freedom and will lead to rule by nanny.
And we know where that could end.
With a knock on the door as we sip beer in our back gardens.
Scalp the scalpers
IT is sickening, if not surprising, to see callous ticket touts exploiting Oasis-mania.
As seven million fans queued online for the band’s reunion tour, tickets appeared on resale sites for more than £10,000.
A much bigger stick is needed to stop these con artists cashing in.
How about capping the mark-up on a resale and fining online platforms that allow tickets to be sold above it?
Maybe that would give genuine fans a chance for a change.
Yvette’s big bother
YVETTE Cooper’s plan to force police to record more “non-crime hate incidents”, diverting them from catching real criminals, is woefully misguided.
But it is also a chilling threat to our basic right of free speech.
So we fully back the Free Speech Union in its legal challenge to the Home Secretary.
Brits must always resist Big Brother.