Nought to 60 in three seconds

Lord Stoddart, fiercely independent exile from the Labour party, takes time out from a busy hour-and-a-half debate about plans to ban displays of cigarettes at point of sale to put himself forward for, and romp home with, a Godwin award:

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: We are saying to tobacconists, “You may not display a legal product”. That is bound to lead eventually to restrictions on other trades. Take the drink trade: Scotland is going to put a minimum price on it. In my view, the most dangerous drug in this country—indeed, the world—is alcohol. I have to tell the breweries and the distillers that the Government will be coming for you next. They have already started. I have to say that Hitler was a rabid anti-smoker—worse than many Members of this Committee.

Baroness O'Cathain: Not possible.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: I am being kind. The fact is, though, that he never did anything of this sort. It did not even enter his mind that the Germans would put up with not being able to display their tobacco products, particularly pipe products. That is what I am saying. Where are we going? If we start along this road, there may be a long and difficult road ahead.

Yes, by putting cigarettes out of view in newsagents, the Government have shown themselves to be worse than Hitler.

Never heard of it

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer [LD]: One of the examples that I could give... is silver, which is a well known substance.