50 MPS to rebel against Sunak’s smoking ban
MORE than 50 Tory MPS are preparing to defy Rishi Sunak and vote against his flagship plans to ban smoking.
MPS will have a free vote today on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which would bar anyone born after 2009 from buying cigarettes.
Yesterday, at least three Cabinet ministers were debating whether to rebel. One backbencher said they expected about 100 Tory MPS to vote against the Prime Minister – although a government source said they expected the number to be nearer 50.
The Telegraph understands that, despite the Tory backlash, Mr Sunak believes that “sometimes you have to do the right thing even if it’s difficult”.
He announced the policy at the Conservative Party Conference last year and is understood to see it as a major part of his legacy. The Bill will raise the minimum age for buying tobacco every year to try to phase out smoking entirely.
Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, who will introduce the Bill at its second reading in the Commons today, said smoking was “uniquely harmful” and the Bill would save thousands of lives.
She said: “Too many people know someone whose life has been tragically cut short or irreversibly changed because of smoking, which despite significant progress remains the UK’S biggest preventable killer... This Bill will save thousands of lives, ease the strain on our NHS, and improve the UK’S productivity.”
Prof Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, said: “Smoking kills and causes harm at all stages of life from stillbirths, asthma in children, stroke, cancer to heart attacks and dementia. This Bill, if passed, will have a substantial impact – preventing disease, disability and premature deaths long into the future.”
In a letter to The Telegraph, a group of leading medics warn that smoking is piling needless pressure on the NHS. The 32 signatories, including senior figures at the King’s Fund, Diabetes UK, Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Royal College of General Practitioners, write: “Passing and implementing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will be a legacy MPS can be proud of, supporting one of the most monumental public health interventions in decades.”
The Bill is almost certain to pass regardless of any Conservative backlash, as Labour has agreed to back it.
Prominent Tory figures have described the plans as “unconservative” and “illiberal”.
Liz Truss, the former prime minister, has called the move an example of the “nanny state” in action and Boris Johnson has described the plan as “absolutely nuts”.
SIR – Today, MPS will vote at the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The Bill will help secure a smoke-free generation by raising the age of sale of tobacco by one year, every year.
Tobacco has a disproportionate impact on the most disadvantaged communities, putting unnecessary pressure on NHS resources, costing taxpayers money, and contributing to economic inactivity by causing poor health and premature death.
The majority of tobacco retailers and the public, including people who smoke, support the legislation, which will remove the blight of smoking from future generations. Support for the Bill can be found among all sectors of society, and across the whole political spectrum. Passing and implementing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will be a legacy that MPS can be proud of, supporting one of the most monumental public-health interventions for decades.
We are among a coalition of more than 300 health organisations urging MPS to back the Bill. In this general election year, they have the chance to make Britain the world-leader in tobacco control. Deborah Arnott
Chief Executive, ASH Ian Walker
Executive Director of Policy, Information and Communications, Cancer Research UK Sarah Woolnough
Chief Executive, The King’s Fund and 29 others; see telegraph.co.uk