MPs’ vote on gradual smoking ban will expose Tory divisions over key Sunak policies – British Politics Live

Liz Truss blames ‘unelected’ health department officials for smoking ban, in apparent jab at Chris Whitty

Good morning. When David Cameron looks back on his premiership, one of the things he did that is likely to be seen as a positive achievement – ​​now and in the future – is passing equal marriage legislation. But it only passed with opposition votes, as more than half of Conservative MPs opposed it. Today Rishi Sunak is asking MPs to vote for another piece of legislation that could potentially have a transformative effect on life in Britain. And like Cameron, he is legislating against the views of his party.

If Andrew Gregory And Ben Quinn In our preview story, Prof. Sir Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, has been sent out to argue for the Tobacco and Vaping Bill, which would prevent anyone turning 15 this year, or younger, from ever being able to will be to legally purchase tobacco products and which will have its second reading today. Sunak’s government is only responsible for health policy in England, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also pass the legislation.

Labor supports the bill and it seems certain it will be passed.

But Sunak has offered the Tories a free vote, saying this should be a ‘matter of conscience’ for his MPs, and dozens of Conservatives are expected to abstain or vote against. Technically, this doesn’t count as a rebellion because they won’t defy the whip. But for Sunak it may feel like a rebellion.

In his Daily Mail column last week Boris Johnson said the policy was insane. He wrote:

If Winston Churchill’s party wants to ban cigars, donnez-moi un break, as they say in Quebec, it is simply madness.

Another former Prime Minister Liz Trusstold the BBC yesterday:

We are a free country. We shouldn’t be telling people not to smoke and I worry about where this will lead.

And this morning in the Today programme Sir Simon Clarke, who elevated secretary in Truss’s short-lived cabinet, followed the same line. He said:

There are good ways to tackle a problem like this, but there are also bad ways, and I think an outright ban risks becoming 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.

According to a report in the Daily TelegraphMore than fifty Conservative MPs are ‘preparing’ to vote against the bill. And the Times says two or three ministers could refuse to back Sunak. In their story Chris Smith And Steven Swinford to write:

Two or three ministers are said to have privately expressed skepticism about the bill, with (Kemi) Badenoch among those who were not convinced. She has yet to decide how she will vote, but has previously spoken about her discomfort with bans, writing in The Times during her 2022 leadership campaign: “Too often people feel that no matter who is elected, the answer is more government. By overpromising and solving every problem, politicians do not reassure or inspire; they disappoint and cause disillusionment.”

Steve Barclay, the Environment Secretary who was Health Secretary when Sunak announced his smoking policy, is also said to have doubts about the wisdom of prohibition. He will not vote against the policy, which he says is laudable, but may choose to abstain, citing a busy agenda. Alister Jack, Scotland’s minister, is not expected to oppose the ban but is considering abstaining.

Does it matter if a significant number of Tory MPs don’t support their leader on this issue? On a legislative level, probably not so much. But Sunak will soon be in an election battle, and this shows that on at least one key issue (and one with which he personally identifies strongly – no one else in government is pushing for this) he is not fundamentally aligned with the instincts of many. people in his party. That helps explain why Tory members appear to be losing confidence in him.

Here is the agenda for the day.

8.45 am: Rishi Sunak chairs a political cabinet ahead of the regular weekly cabinet meeting.

10:00 am: Former Post Office executives David Miller and David Mills give evidence about Post Office Horizon’s IT investigation.

10.15 am: Nigel Farage, honorary chairman of Reform UK, speaks at the National Conservatism conference in Brussels. Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, will speak at 12.45pm and Miriam Cates, the co-chair of the New Conservative group of Tory MPs, will speak at 2.45pm.

11.30 am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

11.30 am: Humza Yousaf, First Minister of Scotland, addresses the Scottish TUC conference in Dundee.

After 12.45 pm: MPs start the debate on the second reading of the tobacco and vaping law. The vote will take place at 7 p.m.

3.10 pm: David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, answers questions in the House of Lords.

After 3:50 PM: Peers debate amendments to Rwanda’s Security (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.

If you would like to contact me, please use the ‘Send us a message’ feature. You’ll see it just below the byline – on the left side of the screen, if you’re reading on a laptop or desktop. This is for people who want to message me directly. I find it really helpful when people message to point out errors (even typos – no error is too small to correct). I often find your questions very interesting. I can’t promise to answer them all, but I’ll try to answer as many as I can, either in the comments below the line; private (if you leave an email address and that seems more appropriate to me); or in the main blog, if I think it is a topic of great interest.