When you take what Mr Johnson says as a whole, he is, in fact, acknowledging that there are problems - "prevailing economic, structural and cultural issues"- that are closing down pubs but these issues are not anything to do with the smoking ban. Because Mr Johnson is Health Secretary, and although he has at his disposal the “Evidence in fact” to support his claims that it is not the smoking ban, it is neither his job nor his position to reveal exactly what this evidence is.

His evidence relating to prevailing economic, social and cultural issues wouldn’t hold anything of interest for the Competition Commission, The OFT or the DTISCH by any chance?

Black is white, chalk is cheese; circles are square and very soon double Dutch will be intelligible to all. History is being written and we are the mere bystanders who cannot read the page.