Starmer backs smoking ban as hospitality sector hits out

The government is considering a ban on outdoor smoking in an effort to curb preventable deaths and alleviate pressure on the NHS. The proposal would affect small parks, pub gardens, and areas outside hospitals, nightclubs and sports venues.

- DAVID MADDOX ALEX CROFT

Sir Keir Starmer said action is needed “to reduce the burden on the NHS and the taxpayer”. But the hospitality industry warned it would cause serious economic harm to venues already struggling since the Covid-19 pandemic, and questioned whether the move is in the public interest.

The proposed ban applies only to England, although devolved governments could choose to bring in similar rules. Tory leadership contender Tom Tugendhat described the policy as an assault on individual freedoms.

Leaked papers revealed that the government is considering a ban in specific outdoor areas as an extension of legislation first introduced by Rishi Sunak’s government.

“My starting point on this is to remind everybody that over 80,000 people lose their lives every year because of smoking,” Sir Keir said in Paris while visiting the French president Emmanuel Macron. “That is a preventable death, it’s a huge burden on the NHS, and, of course, it is a burden on the taxpayer.”

A YouGov poll suggests that the policy may have support among the electorate, with almost six in 10 (58 per cent of) British adults supporting a ban on smoking in pub gardens and outdoor restaurants. Just over a third (35 per cent) say they would oppose or strongly oppose the idea.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are determined to protect children and non-smokers from the harms of second-hand smoking. We’re considering a range of measures to finally make Britain smoke-free.” But it is understood that the Department for Business and Trade has raised concerns about the impact on the hospitality sector – particularly pubs, which are already struggling to remain open.