The bill proposed by UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak to eventually ban smoking could be abandoned due to the upcoming July general election. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has not guaranteed that the law will pass before Parliament shuts down for the election on Friday. Talks between the government and opposition parties over which bills to rush through before then are ongoing. The proposed law aims to create a “smoke-free generation” by preventing anyone born after 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the minimum age to buy cigarettes, which currently stands at 18.
Although the Labour party has pledged to bring in the ban if it wins power at the upcoming election on Thursday 4 July, the Conservative manifesto is also likely to feature the ban, indicating that Mr Sunak remains committed to creating a “smoke-free generation”. However, the bill faces opposition from Tory MPs, including some of Mr Sunak’s ministers, who voted against it in the Commons last month, following the PM’s granting of a free vote.
The wash-up process, whereby bills are accelerated through Parliament prior to its dissolution is underway, but it remains unclear which bills will pass. A victims bill, which authorises payments to those affected by the infected blood scandal, is likely to pass, but other bills, including legislation to deliver a Tory manifesto promise to ban “no fault” evictions in England and to set up a regulator for English football, are at risk.
If successful, the UK would become the first country in the world to ban adults from buying tobacco, and had been seen as a political legacy for Mr Sunak if the Tories are not re-elected. The Lords has yet to debate the bill, which only began its journey through the House of Commons last month, thus making it more difficult for it to pass quickly.
During his speech announcing the election, Mr Sunak highlighted the smoking ban in a signal that it would feature prominently in the Tory election manifesto. He said: “We will ensure that the next generation grows up smoke-free.” Despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the bill, he remains committed to the creation of a “smoke-free generation
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More