Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Commons votes in favour of Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Commons votes in favour of Tobacco and Vapes Bill

A contentious bill that aims to eventually phase out smoking in Britain advanced in parliament on Tuesday, as the House of Commons voted in favour of the controversial measure.

The legislation would ban the selling of tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009 - effectively raising the smoking age by a year each year until it applies to the whole population.


The Tobacco and Vapes Bill also seeks to clamp down on young people vaping by restricting flavours and packaging to make them less appealing to children.

The parliament kicked off debate on prime minister Rishi Sunak's planned flagship legislation on Tuesday, despite opposition from many in his own Conservative Party.

"This has the potential to phase out smoking in young people almost completely as early as 2040," the government said when it unveiled the plan, calling the move "historic".

In the first vote of the bill, 383 MPs voted in favour with 67 voting against.

The bill will need to be adopted by the House of Lords to become law.

Among those who opposed the bill were nearly 60 Conservative MPs - including business secretary Kemi Badenoch and other senior secretaries of state.

Conservative MPs were given a free vote, meaning they were able to defy the government without fear of being suspended from the party.

Smoking is the UK's biggest preventable killer and opinion polls show that around two-thirds of people in the UK back a phased smoking ban.

However, libertarian-leaning MPs on the right of the ruling Conservatives, including former prime minister Liz Truss, have branded the move an attack on personal freedoms.

Conservative MP Simon Clarke told BBC radio that he was "both sceptical and downright opposed" to the plans.

"I think that an outright ban risks being counterproductive, I think it actually risks making smoking cooler, it certainly risks creating a black market, and it also risks creating an unmanageable challenge for the authorities," he said.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson also said at an event in Canada last week it was "mad" that the party of Winston Churchill was "banning cigars".

Opening the debate for the government, health secretary Victoria Atkins told the House of Commons that there is "no liberty in addiction".

"Nicotine robs people of their freedom to choose. The vast majority of smokers start when they are young, and three quarters say that if they could turn back the clock they would not have started," she said.

The proposed ban was supposedly inspired by a similar plan in New Zealand which was later dropped.

Official figures show smoking causes about one in four deaths from cancer and leads to 64,000 deaths in England per year.

"If parliament passes this new bill, it will put the UK at the very forefront of the fight to eradicate one of the most harmful inventions of modern times," said Lion Shahab, co-director of the tobacco and alcohol research group at University College London.

(AFP)

More for you

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sybren Attema, and Betty Eekchaut

Presidents Sybren Attema, FrieslandCampina, and Betty Eekchaut, Milcobel

Yazoo parent FrieslandCampina announces merger with Belgian rival Milcobel

Dutch dairy collective FrieslandCampina has agreed to merge with smaller Belgian rival Milcobel, creating a leading dairy cooperative.

FrieslandCampina, whose brands include Yazoo and Chocomel, said the merger will provide the foundation for a future-oriented organisation that has dairy front and centre for member dairy farmers, employees, consumers, and customers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Retail Shoplifting. Man Stealing In Supermarket
Photo: iStock

Home Office reaffirms commitment to abolish £200 shoplifting threshold

The UK government has pledged stronger measures to combat anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, which it acknowledges as serious crimes that disrupt communities and harm businesses.

Addressing a House of Lords debate on Monday, Home Office minister Lord Hanson detailed plans to abolish the controversial £200 shoplifting threshold and to introduce a new offence for assaults on retail workers.

Keep ReadingShow less
post office store
Photo: Post Office Ltd

Post Office launches wellbeing hub to support postmasters amid rising retail crime

In response to the mounting pressures faced by postmasters across the UK, the Post Office has unveiled a centralised wellbeing platform aimed at simplifying access to support resources.

Post Office said the surge in shoplifting and violent incidents, documented in the 2024 ACS Crime Report, has only intensified the demand for comprehensive support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira
iStock

Independent retailers face mixed outlook for 2025 – Bira

Independent retailers have weathered one of their most challenging years in 2024, with multiple headwinds affecting the sector, according to the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira).

With pressures mounting throughout the year, independent retailers have faced an increasingly difficult trading environment marked by changing consumer behaviour and economic uncertainties.

Keep ReadingShow less