The Freedom Association

The Freedom Association (TFA), set up in the UK in 1975, describes itself as a “a non-partisan, classically liberal campaign group.” Its aim is “to challenge all erosion of civil liberties and campaign in support of individual liberty and freedom of expression, and free markets”.¹  

Relationship to the Tobacco Industry

Opaque Funding

TFA does not disclose its members or donors.

In May 2012, the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) at the University of Bath contacted TFA and asked if it was receiving tobacco industry funding, or had received funding in the past.² TFA did not reply.

Activities

TFA has campaigned against tobacco control measures.

Criticised the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill

The UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill was first introduced in 2023, and became law in 2026. In July 2025, David Campbell-Bannerman, TFA chairman asked the then Prime Minister to “ditch this farcical nonsense.”³ In October 2025, TFA published an article by Campbell-Bannerman on its website, criticising what it called the “Nanny state age-related smoking ban”.⁴ The Freedom Association commissioned a survey, which  reported that only one in three Labour voters supported the bill and around a quarter wanted to see a change in the minimum age of sale from 18 to 21, instead of generational ban.⁵

‘Freedom to Vape’ campaign

In 2016 TFA ran a ‘Freedom to Vape’ campaign, with a dedicated website. The goal was “to remove the regulations imposed on the vaping industry by the European Union’s 2014 Tobacco Products Directive (TPD)”.⁶⁷

• See Harm Reduction for more on how the tobacco industry uses this concept to further its business goals, and the page on e-cigarettes for tobacco company investments in these products.

Campaigned Against the Tobacco Display Ban and Plain Packaging

In March 2011 Simon Richards, TFA’s Director, was one of 11 signatories of a Letter to the Editor in the Daily Telegraph attacking the Government’s position on tobacco control and arguing against the proposed Display Ban and Plain Packaging.⁸ In the letter, the authors argued that the proposed tobacco regulations did not match the government’s promise to ‘defeat the enemies of enterprise’. They further argued that the regulations would make life more difficult for tobacconists and newsagents, and would make it easier for illicit tobacco to be sold. No evidence was given to support their claims.
In April 2012, TFA announced its support for the Hands Off Our Packs campaign against the plain packaging of tobacco proposals. Simon Richards said:

“Attempts to force plain packs on tobacco companies are yet another unjustifiable assault on people’s right to make their own decisions about their own spending choices and activities. Freedom to advertise and promote one’s own products and services is a fundamental part of a free society. It is no coincidence that such freedom does not exist in totalitarian regimes such as North Korea.”⁹

Affiliations

Links to Forest

Forest is a British smokers’ rights group, historically funded by tobacco companies.¹⁰¹¹¹²
TFA has a history of a crossover of Forest personnel:

• Stephen Eyres was the Director of Forest from 1983-1990. For five years previously he edited the magazine of the Freedom Association, Free Nation, and prepared press releases for the Freedom Association.¹³
• Chris Tame was the Director of Forest from 1990-1995. Before this he worked for the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the Freedom Association. He was also Secretary of the Libertarian Alliance and the Adam Smith Club.¹⁴ Tame passed away in in 2006.

In 2010, to coincide with the Conservative Party Conference, the Freedom Association held a two day “Freedom Zone” conference. One of these events was co-sponsored by The Free Society and Forest. Another event, called ‘Voices of Freedom: Live and Unleashed’ was chaired by Claire Fox, the Director and founder of the Institute of Ideas. The panel included

• Philip Davies MP
• Alex Deane (Director of Big Brother Watch)
• Paul Staines (the blogger Guido Fawkes)
• Simon Clark (Director of Forest)¹⁵

Liberty League

In March 2011, the IEA and The Freedom Association launched the inaugural Liberty League conference, co-hosted by the IEA and the Freedom Association. Speakers included:

• Mark Littlewood, IEA
• Dr Steve Davies, IEA
• Tom Clougherty, Adam Smith Institute
• Alex Deane former Big Brother Watch
• Claire Fox, Institute of Ideas
• Simon Richards, The Freedom Association
• Guy Herbert, General Secretary of NO2ID
• Josie Appleton, Manifesto Club
• Simon Clark of Forest and The Free Society
• Timothy Cox, Liberal Vision
• John Hemming MP ¹⁶

Tobacco Tactics Resources

• Simon Richards
• Libertarians
• Plain Packaging
• Display Ban
• Arguments and Language
• Third Party Techniques
• Members of UK Parliament on the TRA council (as of January 2018): Christopher Chope, Gerald Howarth, and Andrew Rosindell