Annonymity in the Press

A letter appears today in the Wirral Globe attacking the UKIP MEP Paul Nuttal,

I SEE Euro MP Paul Nuttall was once again incensed to write in to complain about new proposed anti-smoking legislation.

It is particularly interesting to see him criticise scientific evidence, something that the UKIP party he's a member of has little regard for and often cherry picks published papers to suit its own agenda.

He objects to the statistic that second-hand smoke in the enclosed environment of a car exposes to passengers to 23 times more toxins than a smokey bar.

If we were to suppose that it were merely only ten times more toxic, I struggle to see how he could possibly find objection in policies designed to protect the vulnerable.

It is a fact that second-hand smoke is very harmful to those exposed to it, particularly children.

It is a morally reprehensible view that a smoker's "right" to smoke supersedes the right of others to breath clean air.

We can go through the arguements as to this correspondent's point (I think they are sort of accepting that the science of the BMA is dicey here, cripes even the BMA have admitted it). About the meaning of freedom and responsibility and the limits of the state.

But that isn't my point of highlighting the story. It is this,

Name and address supplied.

Eh, an anonymous attack letter in the local press?

What on earth is that about?

So I phoned the Globe and asked them what their policy was, and they told me that anybody writing to them on any subject can request annonymity.

Which is just strange.

I wonder what this correspondent feared? That Paul would rock up round to their house and blow smoke through their letter box?