Stephen McGinty: Have a cigar – and do Cuba's tobacco rollers a good turn

Published on Friday 9 October 2009 19:03

AT the Conservative Party conference this week, David Cameron was chastised for taking a sip of champagne at the Spectator bash. Bubbly, you see, has been banned by the party for which it was once mother's milk. Conjures the wrong image, one of wasteful excess at a time of fiscal crisis. It's improper, or so the party spin-doctors believe, to enjoy a glass while plotting to hack away at public-sector jobs as soon as you slip through the door of No10.

So the image of David Cameron sipping a glass of bubbly at, roughly, 9 a glass is wrong, but few batted an eyelid at the sight of Peter Mandelson, the epitome of New Labour, delivering his speech the previous week, while wearing, as later reported, a 21,000 watch. One was ostentatious, the other quietly discreet. "He's had a good talking to," said Samantha Cameron of her husband's slip – or should that be sip?

I trust Kenneth Clarke, the former behemoth of Tory fiscal policy, has, as usual, ignored the advice of media managers and continued to puff on his cigar, that other great symbol of wealth and privilege. There can be few images that spell arrogance as clearly as a man with a fat cigar wedged between his teeth and grinning at the camera, yet no product is more misunderstood.

The cigar has long been the solace of a sad man, a brief comfort against the ravages of a dark day. Harold Wilson, the former Labour prime minister, who was famous for his pipe, much preferred cigars, but was convinced the public wouldn't tolerate a cigar-chomping PM so soon after the last. Churchill, of course, was never seen without one and talked of "putting on" his cigar as one would an elegant top hat, but for him it brought solace at a time of unimaginable stress.

In a position that would be viewed as paradoxical today, Churchill abhorred cigarette smoking, chastising his son for a practice that would kill him while writing of cigars: "How can I tell that my temper would have been as sweet or my companionship as agreeable if I had abjured from my youth the goddess nicotine?"

The reason I write is that times are now hard for the Cubans. It was reported earlier this week that demand for Cuban cigars is waning as a result of the global recession. It fell by 3 per cent last year and is down by a further 15 per cent this year. The result is that 30 per cent less land is being sown to tobacco, with cigar rollers being laid off and factories cutting staff. It is ironic that as capitalism is beaten, communism feels the blows.

British cigar sales declined with the smoking ban and now the global recession has planted the second of a vicious one-two. The recession means people are smoking cheaper cigars. I'm as guilty as the next cigar smoker – my recession cigar, a less-than-weekly treat, has slipped from the Romeo & Juliet short Churchill, 12.95, to an excellent Dominican robusto, 5.25. Which, as a teetotaller who has to endure spending 1.95 in a pub for a Coke, I enjoy with impunity.

Yet this week, in solidarity with the Cubans, I shall endeavour to prop up Castro's collapsing regime and drift into its blue smoke. The next question is where to puff?

Simple. For those seeking a congenial place to enjoy a fine cigar, I can only direct them to Hotel du Vin in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Each establishment is fitted with a cigar bothy, equipped with comfortable leather seats, a warming fire and a stout roof.

In a recession, we need to smoke more cigars, not fewer. While ideas for successful schemes are drowned by alcohol, they can often be found dancing at the end of a well-observed column of blue smoke. So, for those who don't smoke, then don't start, but for those who enjoy the occasional stogie, why not light one up this weekend, if not for Fidel, then for the Cuban people?