Talk about Partygate using up all the government’s bandwidth; responding to a question from Labour MP Alex Cunningham about the Department for Health’s plan to “tackle the increase in alcohol consumption during the covid-19 outbreak”, this afternoon Gillian Keegan revealed the department is currently unable to answer this question. Despite extensive real-world research by No. 10: 

Presumably Gillian’s also waiting on Sue Gray…

Hat-tip: Jack Elsom

The APPG for Smoking & Health today called on the government to increase the age at which you can buy cigarettes from 18 to 21. The group of nannies believes this will end the “tobacco epidemic” by the end of the decade. Just one hiccup – 60% of MPs on the APPG believe the voting age should be lowered to 16…

Guido has compiled the list of the 9 MPs who believe that 16 year-olds are mature enough to decide the fate of this country, yet won’t be ready for another 5 years until they are 21 years-old to decide for themselves whether or not to smoke:

• Labour’s Alex Cunningham backs votes at 16
• Green MP Caroline Lucas supports votes at 16
• Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine argued that 16-year-olds should decide Scotland’s fate in the 2014 referendum.
• Labour’s Ian Mearns argued that 16-year-olds should vote on Britain’s EU membership.
• Labour MP Nick Smith thinks 16-year-olds should have a say in our leaders.
• SNP MP Owen Thompson believes 16-year-olds should decide this country’s leaders
• Shadow SNP Spokesperson Philippa Whitford wants to reduce the voting age.
• Racheal Maskell fought to lower the voting age in a passionate speech.
• Finally Labour’s Virendra Sharma voted to allow 16-year-olds a say in the EU referendum.

As Guido previously reported, lifestyle restrictions on eating, drinking, and smoking have steadily increased across Europe in the past 4 years. Maybe just let adults decide for themselves… 

Guido spots Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham is currently advertising for a researcher/senior researcher to join his Shadow Justice Minister team and work on campaigns including poverty. One of Cunningham’s current campaigns is to ban unpaid internships, with his private member’s bill due to be read for the second time in September. Applying applicants are asked to draft a speech of at least 500 words for the debate. Guido won’t hammer home the irony of asking unpaid applicants to write his anti-unpaid internships speech for free – it writes itself (like Alex’s speeches)…