Ian Willmore

Ian Willmore (5 November 1958 – 7 April 2020), is a British activist who played a leading role in defending the independence of the civil service in the 1980s. He also campaigned for legislation to ban smoking in public places and standardised packaging of tobacco products.

Biography

Willmore was born in Cardiff on 5 November 1958 to parents Oliver Willmore (architect) and Anne (née Burnell). He died following a heart attack on 7 April 2020.^[1]

Career

After

In December 1983 he leaked a memorandum to

The Attorney-General, Sir Michael Havers QC, decided against prosecuting Willmore, saying that Section 2 should be used sparingly and only when absolutely necessary. The case has been recognised as one of the most notable 20th century cases involving official secrets legislation or leaks of government information.^[4]

Willmore then campaigned on youth unemployment for

He joined Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) in 2003 as Media and Campaigns Manager, where he played an important role in the campaign for smoke-free laws to include pubs and clubs, won on a free vote in parliament in 2006 and implemented in England in 2007.^[8][9] The legislation led to a significant reduction in heart attacks (MI) resulting in 1,200 fewer emergency admissions for MI in the year following the introduction of smokefree legislation. There was also a significant increase in the number of people making an attempt to give up smoking at the time the legislation was implemented (July and August 2007), equivalent to 300,000 smokers in England trying to quit. A study of bar workers in England showed that their exposure to second-hand smoke reduced on average between 73% and 91% and measures of their respiratory health significantly improved after the introduction of the legislation.^[10][11] UK public health experts voted it the greatest UK public health achievement of the 21st century.^[12]

Willmore returned to work for ASH on a part-time consultancy basis and played a key role in the campaign for legislation to require standardised cigarette packaging. Having consulted on standardised packaging, David Cameron's government had decided not to proceed[], until a group of cross-party backbench peers tabled an amendment requiring standardised packaging to the Children and Families Bill going through parliament in 2013.^[13][14] Like the smokefree laws, the legislation was achieved, with Willmore's help, on a free vote in parliament. When the tobacco manufacturers took forward a judicial review challenging the legislation, ASH acted as an intervener in support of the Government. The lawyers Sean Humber at solicitors Leigh Day, who instructed barristers Peter Oliver and Ligia Osepciu from Monckton Chambers, acted pro bono for ASH.^[15][16] Willmore drafted the detailed brief for the lawyers and attended every day of the court case. The judgement found overwhelmingly against the tobacco manufacturers and the legislation was implemented in 2017.^[17]

Projects and Interests

Willmore had many and eclectic interests alongside politics and was a talented jazz pianist and chess player.^[18]

Publications

He wrote many articles for the national and political press. Most notable were his accounts of the Climbie affair and the subsequent inquiry, and what he saw as the establishment's search for scapegoats, 'An evasion of responsibility'^[19] and 'Passing the Buck'.^[20]

During his time as Media Coordinator of Friends of the Earth Willmore wrote a monthly column on environmental issues for the Observer website.^{[21][22][23][24][25]}

He was co-author of articles analysing how the campaign for smokefree legislation in England achieved success.^[26]

References