No smoke without fire...

The Publican Party have sparked their 2007 campaign into life.

They will be hoping to stub out the smoking ban by returning a few MSPs to Holyrood to make the case. Their aim is surely to appeal to the aggrieved smokers who we all see soaked to the skin on a Friday and Saturday evening.

It's not easy to gauge how this one will go. If every smoker voted for this party then they will do very well indeed. However, (1) that's not going to happen and (2) not every smoker is against the ban. Many accept that they cause a right old stink when they smoke in public and the smell quite rightly gets up other people's noses. But they might be able to tap into a section of the population that doesn't usually vote.

As for how it might affect SNP and Labour in the head to head. Well, let's see shall we....

The Publican Party are standing in Highlands and Islands, Mid Scotland and Fife, North East, Lothians and one other consitutency.

Assuming they managed to get 1 MSP in each region, which I think is unlikely but lets go with it for now. Well, that would mean the loss of...

An SNP candidate in H&I
A Lib Dem candidate in North East
A Lib Dem candidate in Lothian
A Tory candidate in Mid Scotland and Fife

So all in all, Labour will be blowing smoke rings and the others will be the butt of the joke.


Which means I for one will be hoping that The Publican Party are more Lambert & Butler than Benson & Hedges.