MPs have voted to support the Tobacco and Vapes Bill
The ayes voted 383, the noes 67, giving a majority of 316.
Key events
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MPs have voted to support the Tobacco and Vapes Bill
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The public health minister Dame Andrea Leadsom told Sky News: “The vast majority of Conservative colleagues are supporting it or abstaining on it, seeing how the bill progresses.”
She added that the bill was “absolutely not finger-wagging control freakery”, saying: “Once you’re addicted to nicotine, your freedom of choice is completely gone.”
“A freedom-loving, choice-loving individual would choose to allow children to be free from the addiction to nicotine.”
Rajeev Syal
The Rwanda deportation bill has been delayed for at least one more day after the House of Lords voted for amendments that would ensure that it adheres to international and key domestic laws.
The plan to spend £541m to send 300 people seeking asylum to east Africa was sent back to the House of Commons after peers voted several times to add protections for claimants to the bill.
Home Office sources believe they will still force through the bill by the end of this week. It is expected to be presented to the lower chamber again on Wednesday morning and could be returned to the upper chamber a few hours later.
Labour is not expected to whip peers to vote the bill down. Officials maintain that flights for Kigali will not take off for several weeks.
A Labour government would implement the smoking ban, Wes Streeting said after the policy cleared its first Commons hurdle.
Labour’s shadow health secretary said: “Rishi Sunak put this bill at risk by granting a free vote, because he is too weak to stand up to the Liz Truss-wing of his party.
“Labour first proposed a progressive ban on smoking more than a year ago, and it was only thanks to Labour MPs that this bill passed.
“If we are privileged enough to form the next government, Labour will implement this ban, so young people today are even less likely to smoke than they are to vote Conservative.”
Kemi Badenoch downplayed suggestions her opposition to Rishi Sunak’s proposed smoking ban on Tuesday demonstrated she was posturing for a future Tory leadership bid.
In a phone-in with LBC Radio, the business secretary said it was “a shame” people would view it that way.
“We need space for people to be able to have disagreements without it being put down to ulterior motives. Everything we do is looked at through the prism of the worst possible intention. And I think that’s one of the reasons why politicians feel they don’t get a fair hearing, that many people decide not to not to do this job.
“Sometimes we have to take what people are saying at face at face value.”
According to the UK Parliament website’s division list, 57 Tory MPs voted No to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Among them were former home secretary Suella Braverman, the business secretary Kemi Badenoch, former Home Office minister Robert Jenrick, former prime minister Liz Truss and former housing secretary Sir Simon Clarke.
Several serving ministers were also among those voting against including Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, culture minister Julia Lopez, and communities minister Lee Rowley.
Tory MPs voting against the Bill were joined by 7 DUP MPs, Reform Party MP Lee Anderson, and Workers Party of Britain MP George Galloway.
Some 178 Conservatives supported the Bill according to the list, alongside 160 Labour MPs, 31 SNP MPs, 5 Liberal Democrats, 3 Plaid Cymru MPs, 2 independents, and the Alliance Party’s Stephen Farry.
Some 106 Tory MPs did not vote as well as 40 Labour MPs.
Rishi Sunak has warned Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu against “further significant escalation” in Tel Aviv’s response to Iran’s attack.
He wrote on X: “Earlier today I spoke to Prime Minister @netanyahu and reiterated our support for Israel’s security following Iran’s reckless attack at the weekend.
“Further significant escalation will only deepen instability in the region.
“This is a moment for calm heads to prevail.”
Earlier today I spoke to Prime Minister @netanyahu and reiterated our support for Israel’s security following Iran’s reckless attack at the weekend.
Further significant escalation will only deepen instability in the region.
This is a moment for calm heads to prevail.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 16, 2024
Following the Commons vote, Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), said: “Parliament has today begun the process of consigning smoking to the ‘ash heap’ of history.
“However, this is only the first step, the Bill must now go through committee and another vote before going through the same process in the House of Lords.
“The passage of the Bill should be expedited to ensure it is on the statute book before the general election.
“The public, who overwhelmingly support the legislation, expect nothing less.”
ITV’s Robert Peston’s reflections on the vote result.
Votes against smoking ban were 67. Presumably almost all were cast by Tory MPs. There appear to have been well over 100 abstentions. Obviously bill passes. We await the detail of the magnitude of the Tory opposition to Sunak’s historic public-health legislation
— Robert Peston (@Peston) April 16, 2024
Rishi Sunak’s smoking ban bill has passed its first hurdle in the Commons and can now go for a second reading.
However, it appears numerous Tory MPs opposed the legislation and many also abstained.
MPs have voted to support the Tobacco and Vapes Bill
The ayes voted 383, the noes 67, giving a majority of 316.
MPs have divided to vote on the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
