Keir Starmer is facing a mounting backlash over the government’s plan to ban smoking in pub gardens, outdoor restaurants and outside sports stadiums and hospitals.
The prime minister has confirmed that the move will form part of legislation aimed at making it illegal for anyone born after 2010 to ever buy tobacco products.
He said: “My starting point on this is to remind everybody that over 80,000 people lose their lives every year because of smoking.
“That is a preventable death, it’s a huge burden on the NHS and, of course, it is a burden on the taxpayer.
“So, yes, we are going to take decisions in this space, more details will be revealed, but this is a preventable series of deaths and we’ve got to take action to reduce the burden on the NHS and the taxpayer.”
Health campaigners have given the plan a cautious welcome, but the PM has come under fire from pub bosses and opposition politicians.
Clive Watson, pub entrepreneur and chairman of Inda pub group, said: “I think it’s a bonkers idea – it will encourage customers to stay at home, meaning there is no health upside.”
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “It is deeply concerning and difficult to understand why government would bring forward proposals that will be yet another blow to the viability of our nation’s vital community assets.
“We know from experience that this restriction would have a devastating impact for pubs who are already struggling with soaring energy prices and the staggering cost of doing business.
“For generations, pubs have welcomed people, not turned them away, have helped combat loneliness and provided a vital place where people meet and make friends.
“Their benefits to the community and local economy must not be taken for granted, and we urge the Government to reconsider this misguided restriction on pubs as social spaces.”
Tory leadership contenders Robert Jenrick and Priti Patel also criticised the move.
Jenrick wrote on X: “The last thing this country needs is thousands more pubs closing. Our country faces huge challenges. Why is Starmer focusing on this nonsense?”
Reem Ibrahim, of the the free market think-tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “Banning outdoor smoking would be another nail in the coffin for the pub industry.
“The government’s own impact assessment concluded that banning smoking outdoors will lead to pub closures and job losses. Pubs and other private venues should be able to determine their own outdoor smoking rules – just as they should be allowed to decide whether to play music, serve food, or show football on TV.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care 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.”