Letter: Sir Keir Starmer's proposed changes to smoking laws will cost jobs, not save lives

By Letters

Published 4th Sep 2024, 00:00 BST

The World Health Organisation (WHO) will be rubbing its hands with glee as its leading cheerleader, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, is looking at changing the UK smoking laws with a ban on lighting up in pub gardens, seating outside cafes and sporting venues purportedly for the well being of the public, but euphemistically for controlling lives, a wing of socialism.

He talks about prevention of cancer rather than treatment by the National Health Service by encroaching on peoples' leisure and enjoyment by turning smoking areas into leper zones.

This measure will not save lives, with other places being found to smoke and, as a non-smoker, it does perturb me.

Freedom of habit is not just about beneficial practices but non-beneficial ones as well.

The prime minister is setting up a national nicotine service to be facetious!

Out of this socialist invasion of our spaces will come further emasculation of the hospitality industry at a cost to jobs and alcohol retail outlets going out of business and the Grand National at Aintree being renamed the 'Banned National'.

It simply doesn't add up when Sir Keir Starmer talks about "growing the economy".

Has Labour considered that less revenue from the tobacco industry will yield less scope for punitive taxation?

Socialism is about future generations paying for fiscal squandering, but for this political leaning the essence is power at any cost, so watch this ban go up in smoke.

David Fleming, Norfolk