WAS there really any other conclusion Alan Milburn could have come to in his deliberations over whether he should vote for a complete workplace smoking ban?

The Darlington MP, who served the Government as Health Secretary, has come off the fence and decided to vote for the complete ban after asking his constituents for their views.

It has been our view throughout this debate that anything other than a complete ban would be a fudge. How can the principle of protecting staff and customers from passive smoking only apply to some pubs and clubs?

It is either right or wrong and, with so much evidence underlining the dangers of passive smoking, we believe that a partial ban would be half-hearted and half-baked.

In many ways, it is refreshing to see an MP taking the views of his constituents into account so thoroughly. It is good to listen and perhaps we can now expect other MPs to carry out similar surveys before important votes.

On the other hand, there are also times when elected politicians need to display clear leadership. Indeed, the muddled thinking of the Cabinet on workplace smoking has served only to create a fog of confusion.

With his background as Health Secretary placing him in an influential position, Mr Milburn had the opportunity to clear the air and state the undeniable case for public health much earlier.