‘Absurd’ smoking ban won’t help Tories avoid election wipeout, says Rees-Mogg

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned Rishi Sunak that his “absurd” phased ban on smoking will not help the Conservative Party climb the “electoral mountain” it is facing.

The former business secretary was among the 165 Tory MPs who either abstained or voted against the ban as the Prime Minister’s plan cleared its first hurdle in the Commons on Tuesday with Labour support.

Five leadership hopefuls, including Kemi Badenoch, Penny Mordaunt and Suella Braverman failed to support the legislation as critics warned against “health police” wanting to limit people’s freedom.

Sir Jacob said that he believed the Government was focusing on the wrong issues before the next general election, which it is expected to lose heavily.

Accusing Mr Sunak of bringing forward an “ill-thought through and essentially absurd” piece of legislation, he told GB News: “The Conservative Party has an electoral mountain to climb. If we want to overturn the Labour lead in the opinion polls, we need to start pursuing conservative policies and show a sense of proportion.

“How many voters will switch back to the Tories because of this complex and impractical ban, aggressively pushed by the people who gave us endless lockdowns?”

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone who turned 15 this year or anybody younger, with the aim of creating a “smoke-free” generation.

It will raise the smoking age by one year every year, with businesses or individuals flouting the legislation set to receive spot fines, and will also restrict reusable vapes to four different flavours and completely ban disposable vapes.

Sir Jacob added that there appeared to be “no sense of purpose or urgency” in Downing Street as Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour retains a comfortable lead.

“Politically, the guns are ranged against us as we trail Labour by over 20 per cent in the opinion polls. Nearly a quarter of Tory voters from 2019 have left for Reform.

“Internationally, the world looks as dangerous as it has in decades, facing complex challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine. Domestically, tax is at record levels, the economy is sluggish and unemployment is rising. Immigration is out of control.

“Against this background of urgent and pressing problems, what does the Government decide to devote its efforts to? The picayune issue of smoking.”

The former cabinet minister invoked a scenario in which a 79-year-old man would be banned from buying cigarettes in 2088, but an 80-year-old would be permitted to do so.

Mrs Badenoch, the Business Secretary, said smoking was an “unpleasant habit”, adding that Mr Sunak had “honest intentions” with the legislation.

But she said “legally competent adults” should not be treated differently, adding: “The principle of equality under the law is a fundamental one.”

Ms Braverman, the former home secretary, returned from giving a keynote speech at the National Conservatism Conference in Brussels to vote against the legislation.

Robert Jenrick, her former deputy at the Home Office, also opposed Mr Sunak’s Bill, while Dame Priti Patel and Penny Mordaunt, the Commons leader, abstained.

Richard Tice, the leader of Reform UK, criticised the smoking ban and said that it was an example of “far too much state intervention”.

He told Times Radio: “Actually, trust individuals, trust parents, rather than constant state intervention. When they’re adults, trust individuals to make their own decisions about their own lives – that’s actually how you make progress.”

It came as Laura Trott, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said she did not know whether the smoking ban was set to apply to Northern Ireland, with the Department of Health and Social Care subsequently clarifying that it would.

Seeking to downplay the rebellion, Ms Trott said: “This is a free vote and this means that it wasn’t on the basis of a whip for the party for the Conservatives, it was just done as a matter of people’s individual opinions.

“This has been how it was done previously. You’ll remember that when Tony Blair did his smoking vote, his then-deputy prime minister voted against it and I heard his government was OK.”