Liz Truss says Sunak’s plan to phase out cigarette sales is ‘very unconservative’ – British Politics Live

Adam Bienkov from Byline Times says that one problem for Liz Truss, in her bid to get Tory MPs to oppose the gradual ban on all cigarette sales, is that the move is popular with the public.

Shares in vaping companies tumbled this morning as disposable vapes are set to be banned in Britain, PA Media reports. PA says:

As a result, Chill Brands saw its shares fall as much as 35% in early trading, while rival company Supreme saw its shares fall about 12%.

Chill’s market value had fallen by more than £3 million, with more than £10 million knocked off Supreme’s valuation in the morning trading session.

The announcement is part of the government’s response to its consultation on smoking and vaping, which was launched in October last year.

The ban is expected to come into effect in late 2024 or early 2025.

On Monday, Chill Brands, which makes both nicotine-free vapes and CBD products, emphasized that it is “committed to strict compliance with all relevant laws.”

Chill CEO Callum Sommerton said it will continue to sell its products to UK and US retailers, but they are prepared to adapt to rule changes.

He said: “The vaping landscape is constantly evolving and creating opportunities for companies that are able to navigate the regulations. The Chill brand has quickly gained traction with support from major retailers, and I am confident this will continue as we move forward with our plans to launch reusable vapes with pod systems.

“Chill Brands Group is an agile company and we are prepared to adapt to any legislation.”

Rival Supreme, which owns 88Vape, among others, also saw its shares plummet due to the announcement.

The company, which has yet to comment on the latest announcement, said in October that it “fully supported any further legislation in the sector”.

Good morning. Two weeks ago Rishi Sunak stood up to Tory rebels who wanted him to tighten the Rwanda law, last week former minister Simon Clarke was shouted at by colleagues when he called for a new leader, but the unrest in the party never really goes away. days, and today Liz TrussSunak’s predecessor, is fueling rebellion over a different issue.

Truss has delivered a scathing attack on Sunak’s proposal to gradually ban future generations from ever buying cigarettes again. She opposed the idea as soon as Sunak announced it at the Conservative party conference last year, but today she has gone further, describing the proposal as ‘absurd’ and ‘very unconservative’. In a statement she said:

While the state has a duty to protect children from harm, in a free society adults should be able to make their own choices about their own lives.

Banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2009 or later will create an absurd situation where adults enjoy different rights based on their date of birth.

A Conservative government should not try to expand the nanny state. This will only provide support to those who want to ban further choices they disagree with.

New Zealand’s newly elected national government is already moving to undo the generative tobacco ban proposed by the previous government.

The government must urgently follow suit and reverse this deeply unconservative policy.

Truss responded an announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care and says that, following consultation, the Government intends to press ahead with plans to ban the sale of disposable vapes, take other steps to stop the already illegal sale of vapes to children and to permanently ban the sale of cigarettes for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009.

The DHSC says legislation to do this (the King’s speech promised a tobacco and vaping bill) will be introduced “soon”.

The DHSC announcement covers England and Wales, but the Scottish Government has said so it will do the sameand the legislation will also cover Northern Ireland.

Victoria Atkinsthe Minister of Health, gave interviews this morning and she has defended the plan to increase the legal age for purchasing cigarettes by one year every year, so that 14-year-olds never have the chance to legally buy a cigarette.

Responding to Truss’s comments, she told BBC Breakfast:

I’m old enough to remember a time when you could walk into a pub and it was filled with smoke and everyone at the time it was being debated said ‘oh, this will never work’. Nowadays you would of course be surprised if someone tried to light a cigarette in a café or public facility.

And she told LBC:

I think it’s a lot like the debate we had ten years ago about whether adults should be allowed to smoke in cars with their children. There was a lot of discussion about that. But now, 10-12 years later, are we honestly saying that we would go back? Of course not.

Labor supports the legislation and so there is no risk of the bill not being passed. But there may be dozens of Tory MPs who agree with Truss, and who may be prepared to vote against the government on this. When Atkins was asked on the Today program whether she was confident Conservative MPs would support the bill, she sidestepped the question and said:

We have the support of moms and dads and smokers across the country. Smokers keep coming up to me and saying I wish I had never started smoking.

We will hear from Sunak about this later.

Here is the agenda for the day.

Morning: Rishi Sunak is visiting the North East of England.

10:00 am: Michael Gove, the Leveling Secretary and former Cabinet Office minister, gives evidence to the UK Covid inquiry in Edinburgh. (During Covid he was the UK minister responsible for liaison with devolved administrations.)

11.30 am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

Morning: Keir Starmer visits a branch of Iceland in the north west of England. Iceland’s boss, Richard Walker, a former Tory donor, has used an article for the Guardian to back Labor.

After 3 p.m.: Peer begins to debate the second reading of Rwanda’s security (immigration and asylum law). There are more than 70 colleagues on the list to speak.

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