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Someone told me that the Mayor of London was considering this, but that sounded a bit far fetched. Having read things online, I have discovered that Boris Johnson was considering letting local boroughs decide - which would presumably mean some pubs allowing smoking, and some not, across London. Nothing much has been said by Johnson since he originally mentioned this last year. Or has he further considered it? Has anyone heard anything more on this subject?

Since it is a national law, he couldn't do it, Keith. Someone's yanking your bong.

He can't do it- but I expect the Tories to scrap it in England.

That will leave Wales with a ban as present- and Scotland moving towards treating cigs as a poison, with them locked in steel cabinets and punters having to sign a purchase book that is sent to the Minister of Health. And quite right too.

its an EU law, its totally out of the tories, and boris's hands

Dace is wrong, it's not an EU law.

Dace is right though to say that it's out of Boris Johnson's hands.

Colonel is correct in that he notes that the law banning smoking in England is a separate law to the one banning smoking in Wales and the Scottish law is a separate one again.

Max_tranmere is completely wrong when he says that he's "discovered that Boris Johnson was considering letting local boroughs decide".

What Johnson actually said is that he thought the ban throughout England was wrong and that it should have been down to each local authority to decide.

In Johnson's own words:

"Personally I do not like smoking and believe that pubs and clubs are better places since the ban came in. My point was that I believe laws like the smoking ban should have been decided at a local level rather than a national level. What is the point of having local democracy if we don't leave decisions like this to a local level? I realise that it is not within the power of the Mayor to do anything about this, since the ban is throughout England, nor will I be lobbying for the power to do anything about it. I'm merely expressing a personal opinion."

The ban is here to stay I think....it would be hard to remove it,what grounds would they use????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02KwDMM1STI

I guess becoming mayor changing your opinions on things....

Yay! I'm all for the ban me. Though I'm not totally unreasonable. Open aired public spaces is fine but I used to hate the fact my clothes reeked of cigarettes hours after I left a place.

Now that was anti social.

I bet smokers wouldnt like smelling of something foul would they? They re used to smoke so it doesnt bother them.

Terry, O agree. I know a lovely boozer in Brum that made a marvellous night out but left me stinking of fags every time.

I am a non-smoker and smoking killed my mother- so the smoking ban was a -pardon the pun- breath of fresh air to me. And the pub in question dealt with the ban correctly- it came into force at 6am on a Monday morning; so they obtained a late licence till then; and set up a smokers only, ticketed Last Night Of Smoking from 6pm the previous night....by legend the last participant made it till 4.15 am.....- with work the same day!

Now that we don't have to come into contact with smoke on a daily basis, which is a wholly good thing, you really notice how much a smoker stinks when you happen to be stuck behind one in the checkout queue at Tesco?s. Their clothes, hair and everything else about them reeks of it. It would be a bad day if smokers were ever allowed to regain the upper hand, because they're usually totally selfish individuals, when it comes to their freedom to inflict their smoke on others.