Rishi Sunak faces government backlash over his proposed smoking ban as MPs vote on ‘smoke-free generation’ bill

Rishi Sunak faces a cabinet split today as MPs vote on legislation to create a ‘smoke-free generation’ today.

Several ministers are expected to vote against – and many may abstain – when the tobacco and vapes bill is first debated in the Commons.

The legislation will ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 – meaning children aged 15 or under today will never legally be sold a cigarette in England.

It also gives the government powers to tackle youth vaping with restrictions on flavor and new rules on the packaging and sale of vapes.

MPs will be given a free vote on the plans when they are debated at second reading today, but it will be a blow to the Prime Minister if more frontbenchers rebel.

The legislation will ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, meaning that no-one under the age of 15 in England will be able to legally buy a cigarette (Stock Image)

Winston Churchill was famous for his love of cigars. Boris Johnson said it was ‘absolutely crazy’ that Winston Churchill’s party wanted to ban cigarettes and cigars

The Government’s proposals have been blasted by Tory MPs and former Prime Ministers including Liz Truss (Stock Image)

Tory sources said they expected a number of ministers to rebel over fears the proposals are ‘unconservative’.

But government insiders insisted it was a ‘genuine’ free vote.

One rebel, Tory former minister Sir Simon Clarke, told the Mail he would vote against the bill.

He said: ‘It is both philosophically and practically a terrible idea. No one doubts that smoking does enormous damage to your health, and I would not encourage anyone to smoke, but it is not the role of the state to try to ban people from doing so.

“If we try to do that, we will almost certainly be making a fool of ourselves and wasting huge amounts of police and local authority time trying to enforce a ban that won’t work.

‘We are already struggling to limit the real danger of illegal drugs, so trying to police tobacco in this way is a recipe for creating a whole new black market.’

Tory former Prime Minister Liz Truss has previously said the proposals are an example of the ‘nanny state’ in action.

And Boris Johnson has branded the plan ‘absolutely nuts’, saying last week: ‘We’re banning cigars. What’s the point of banning – Winston Churchill’s party wants to ban cigars… Donnez moi un break, as they say in Quebec. It’s just mad.’

Despite Tory opposition, Labor is expected to whip in favor of the bill, meaning it will almost certainly pass.

The government believes that creating a ‘smoke-free generation’ could prevent more than 470,000 cases of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and other deadly diseases by the turn of the century.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said the bill would save “thousands of lives, ease the strain on our NHS and improve Britain’s productivity”.

She said: ‘The truth is there is no safe level of tobacco use. It is uniquely harmful, which is why we are taking this important action today to protect the next generation.’

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, added: ‘Smoking kills and causes harm at all stages of life from stillbirth, asthma in children, stroke, cancer to heart attacks and dementia.

“This bill, if passed, will have a significant impact – preventing disease, disability and premature death far into the future.”