Smoking prevalence, or the proportion of current smokers, in the UK has gone below 14 per cent for first time in years while vaping hit highest rates since records began, official data has shown.
According to the annual smoking prevalence report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published yesterday, the number of UK vapers had risen to 6.4 per cent - equivalent to around 3.3m people - in 2020, from 3.7 per cent in 2014, when the agency started collecting data on e-cigarettes use.
The report also reveals that the number of adult smokers in the UK currently stands at 13.8 per cent of the population – its lowest percentage since at least 2015.
However, according to the ONS monthly data, smoking rates rose sharply during the pandemic and national lockdown to a peak of 16.3 per cent in August, before slowly decreasing to 13.8 per cent by the end of 2020.
“While this rise in smoking prevalence during lockdown could be attributed to increased anxiety because of the pandemic, I would also point towards the fact that speciality vape shops were not granted ‘essential retail’ status and therefore had to close their doors as another significant contributing factor,” commented John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association.
The data comes just one month after the government announced that vaping devices could soon be prescribed to smokers on the NHS.
The ONS report also highlighted that the number of ex-smokers who now vape had risen from 11.7 per cent in 2019 to 12.3 per cent, while the number of smokers who also vape increased from 15.5 per cent in 2019 to 17.8 per cent in 2020.
Dunne said these figures show that the anti-vaping lobby’s attempts to smear e-cigarettes’ effectiveness at helping people to quit smoking are “simply not working.”
“Vaping advocates, on the other hand, have the science, political will and, increasingly, the healthcare sector’s support for increased use of vaping to help smokers to give up their habits for good,” he added.
New research by American Express Shop Small reveals the nation’s top 10 hotspots for independent shops, showcasing the small businesses and the valuable role they plan in their local communities.
American Express partnered with retail experts GlobalData to identify the top high streets for independent shops through ranking factors such as the number of independent outlets, variety of business types, and vibrancy of the high street.
The list also took into consideration the number of Gen Z and Millennial independent business owners (those aged between 18-43) in each location, factoring in how these younger generations are investing in the future success of UK high streets. Across the top 10 hotspots, on average over a third (36 per cent) of all business owners are in these age cohorts.
The research identified bustling St Mary’s Street in Stamford, Lincolnshire, as Britain’s top hotspot for independent shops – scoring highly across all the factors and delivering a unique experience for shoppers.
Britain’s top high street hotspots for independent shops:
St Mary’s Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire
Devonshire Street / Division Street, Sheffield, Yorkshire
Gloucester Road, Bristol
Market Street / Bridge Gate, Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire
Stoke Newington Church Street, Hackney, London
High Street, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
Oldham Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester
Bailgate, Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Byres Road, Glasgow
The Lanes, Norwich, Norfolk
Beyond their contribution to local communities, the research also revealed how living near a vibrant independent high street can benefit home valuations.
Dan Edelman, general manager, Merchant Services at American Express, said, “Small businesses play a crucial role in supporting local economies up and down the country, and it’s pleasing to now see their impact beyond the high street. Through our Shop Small campaign and support of Small Business Saturday we’re proud to be championing and shining a spotlight on the diverse and vibrant independent businesses who help our local communities thrive.”
The research is released ahead of this year’s Small Business Saturday (Dec 7), of which American Express is founder and principal supporter. Small Business Saturday is the UK’s most successful small business campaign. Over the years it has been running, it has engaged millions of people and seen billions of pounds spent with small businesses across the UK on the day, with an impact that lasts all year round.
Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday, said, “The nation’s 5.5 million small businesses bring incredible value to the UK’s economy, society and communities, and this research underlines the material impact they have in boosting local areas. On Small Business Saturday, and beyond, we are asking the nation to throw their arms around their favourite local small businesses and show them how much they mean to us all and the wider community. Public support is so vital for small businesses, particularly for the next generation of owners.”
Matt Piner, research director at GlobalData, commented on the findings, “Independent shops bring something different to high streets, offering uniqueness and propositions that are finely tuned to the needs of their local communities. As younger generations of shoppers are attracted to their local high streets, so too are shop owners, with a new breed of Gen Z and Millennial entrepreneurs helping to keep them thriving.”
As part of this year’s Shop Small campaign, American Express has pledged £100,000 worth of grants to small businesses. The Champion Small initiative encourages Cardmembers to nominate their favourite independent small business, with 10 set to receive a £10,000 grant. Those who nominate a business will be entered into a prize draw too, with a chance to win one of 50 x £1,000 statement credits.
Shoppers who walk and wheel spend more than those arriving by car, states a recent report, demonstrating the significant economic and social benefits of investing in walkable town centres, challenging traditional views on urban accessibility.
The findings published in third edition of "The Pedestrian Pound Report", recently published by Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, come at a critical juncture for British high streets, with a record number of retail failures in 2022 and a vacancy rate of nearly one in seven by the end of 2023.
The launch of the report is backed by Scotland’s national walking charity, Paths for All, underscoring the need to make walking a central feature of Scotland’s high streets.
“Making high streets and town centres more walkable increases time – and money – spent in those businesses,” says Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive of Living Streets. “It’s slowly being recognised – the majority (95 per cent) of London’s Business Improvement Districts identify a good walking environment as important to business performance.”
The report highlights encouraging data from Scottish towns, such as Nairn, where public space improvements and community events have significantly bolstered foot traffic. In 2022, a Christmas event in the town drew 7,800 attendees, including 600 new visitors, while a classic car show in 2023 attracted over 10,000, with 80 per cent saying they would return even outside of events.
Kevin Lafferty, Chief Executive of Paths for All, emphasised the broader benefits, “These findings show that when we put people first and make walking and wheeling the easiest, most natural choices, we don’t just get an economic boost – we build communities that are happier, healthier, and more sustainable for everyone.”
The report highlights that 85 per cent of Scottish adults walk or wheel regularly, contributing to both economic and health benefits.
In Scotland alone, the health benefits from walking to work are valued at over £600 million annually in prevented deaths. Community-focused initiatives, such as the Alloa Hub, are proving successful in encouraging residents to travel into town centres, with research showing that 56p of every £1 spent in community businesses stays in the local economy.
The report is timely, with investment in active and sustainable transport cut by £23.7 million by the Scottish Government this September. The Pedestrian Pound provides an excellent case for these vital funds to be restored.
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Home secretary Yvette Cooper speaking at the annual conference hosted by the NPCC and APCC on 19 November 2024
Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to rebuild neighbourhood policing and combat surging shop theft as part of an ambitious programme of reform to policing.
In her first major speech at the annual conference hosted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners on Tuesday, Cooper highlighted four of the key areas for reform: neighbourhood policing, police performance, structures and capabilities, crime prevention.
The initiatives she announced include:
a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to get policing back to basics and rebuild trust between local forces and the communities they serve
a new Police Performance Unit to track national data on local performance and drive up standards
a new National Centre of Policing to harness new technology and forensics, making sure policing is better equipped to meet the changing nature of crime
The home secretary also announced more than half a billion pounds of additional central government funding for policing next year to support the government’s Safer Streets Mission, including an increase in the core grant for police forces, and extra resources for neighbourhood policing, the NCA and counter-terrorism.
In her speech, Cooper said that without a major overhaul to increase public confidence, the British tradition of policing by consent will be in peril.
“I am determined that neighbourhood policing must be rebuilt,” she said, pointing to its decline over the past decade. Cuts to community-based roles have left town centres vulnerable to rising crime and antisocial behaviour, she added.
“Shop theft is up at a record high, street theft is up 40 per cent in a year… Criminals – often organised gangs – are just getting away with it. We cannot stand for this,” she said.
Cooper reiterated the government’s commitment to deliver an additional 13,000 police officers, PCSOs and special constables in neighbourhood policing roles, adding that further steps will be announced in the coming weeks.
The reforms will restore community patrols with a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and an enhanced role for Police and Crime Commissioners to prevent crime. The changes will also ensure that policing has the national capabilities it needs to fight fast-changing, complex crimes which cut across police force boundaries.
“The challenge of rebuilding public confidence is a shared one for government and policing. This is an opportunity for a fundamental reset in that relationship, and together we will embark on this roadmap for reform to regain the trust and support of the people we all serve and to reinvigorate the best of policing,” Cooper said.
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Bank of England building on Threadneedle Street, CLondon (Photo: iStock)
Retailers are right to warn of potential job cuts as a result of tax increases announced at last month’s budget, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has said.
Bailey appeared before the cross-party Treasury select committee on Tuesday (19), after almost 80 retailers claimed rising costs would make “job losses inevitable, and higher prices a certainty”.
“I think there is a risk here that the reduction in employment could be more. Yes, I think that’s a risk,” Bailey said, adding that depending on how companies respond, there could be a bigger reduction in employment as a result of the NICs rise than the 50,000 jobs projected by the government’s spending watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
Bailey suggested the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) would continue to reduce interest rates slowly from their current level of 4.75%, allowing time to assess the impact of the tax changes.
Rachel Reeves’s first budget increased taxes by £40bn, which Labour said would be used to fund creaking public services. The biggest revenue-raiser was a £25bn rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs), which has prompted a backlash from business groups.
In a letter to the chancellor, retail bosses claimed this and other changes would cost the sector £7bn and lead to layoffs. Signatories included senior figures from Tesco, Greggs, H&M, B&Q and Specsavers.
The letter, which was organised by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and signed by 80 companies, warned the industry faces £7bn in increased costs as a result of changes to employers’ National Insurance, a higher minimum wage rise and levies on packaging.
It added that job losses were now “inevitable”, as a result of the “sheer scale” of the new costs on business.
The letter continued: “For any retailer, large or small, it will not be possible to absorb such significant cost increases over such a short timescale. The effect will be to increase inflation, slow pay growth, cause shop closures and reduce jobs, especially at the entry level. This will impact high streets and customers right across the country.”
The BRC estimates that retailers will face a £2.3bn bill from April, after the implementation of the increase in employer NICs from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent, as well as the reduction in the earnings threshold when they must start paying it, from £9,100 to £5,000.
Meanwhile, retailers are understood to have been contacted by the Treasury last week to find out whether they planned on giving their support to the letter, which criticised the Chancellor’s decision to impose extra costs on the industry. One industry source suggested the Government had been thrown into a “tizzy” by the prospect of a public letter rebuking the Chancellor.
The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has urged independent shop owners to reach out to their local councils about the government's newly announced High Street Rental Auction (HSRA) powers, which aim to tackle persistently vacant commercial properties on UK high streets.
Introduced through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, the HSRA legislation will come into force on 2 December. It will give local authorities the ability to put the leases of long-term empty shops up for public auction, allowing businesses and community groups to secure short-term tenancies.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: "The introduction of High Street Rental Auctions is a positive step forward in revitalising our town and city centres. For far too long, disengaged landlords have been allowed to leave key commercial properties sitting vacant, to the detriment of local businesses and communities."
"We urge all independent shop owners who have experienced issues with persistently empty premises in their area to engage with their local council. These new rental a provides an opportunity for retailers and other organisations to gain access to high street spaces that may have previously been off-limits."
The government has committed over £1 million in funding to support the HSRA process, which aims to breathe new life into town centres by bringing businesses, community services and customers back to the high street.
Goodacre added: "High streets are the beating heart of our local communities, and we cannot allow them to wither away due to landlord inaction. These new rental auction powers give opportunities to established or new retailers to secure affordable, short-term tenancies and expand their reach within their community."