The government is “not attacking the hospitality industry” with proposed plans to ban smoking in pub gardens, a cabinet minister has insisted.
Lucy Powell told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that Labour wants to create a “smoke-free country” and measures to achieve this will be done “in consultation” with businesses that could be affected.
The new government had already pledged to resurrect Rishi Sunak’s flagship smoking bill, which intended to ban anyone aged 14 and under from ever buying cigarettes, but this was shelved before the election.
However, this week Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he could go further and also ban smokingin outdoor venues to reduce the number of preventable deaths linked to tobacco use.
Asked about criticism this move could “kill business”, Ms Powell said: “We’re certainly not attacking the hospitality industry. We support the hospitality industry. It’s vital to our communities, our high street, our economy.
“I’m not going to pre-empt what is or isn’t going to be in a future piece of legislation, but what I would say is that any such measures to extend some of these issues around smoking will be done in full consultation with hospitality business.”
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She added there has been “a consensus for a long time now that we want to see a smoke-free country” and the health and economic benefits “would be huge”.
Smoking claims around 80,000 lives a year and estimates suggest it costs the NHS in England about £2.6bn a year.
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While health campaigners have welcomed the latest plans, industry leaders in the hospitality sector have warned it could be a final nail in the coffin following the difficulties of the pandemic and cost of living crisis.
Sir Keir said the ban could include pub gardens, outdoor restaurants and outside sports venues, hospitals, nightclubs and some small parks.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, said this “comes with the prospect of serious economic harm to hospitality venues” that have “all invested significantly in good faith in outdoor spaces and continue to face financial challenges”.
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said: “This raises the critical question: Are we on the brink of becoming a nanny state? What is next?
“While these measures may rightly be driven by public health considerations, they risk dividing opinion and imposing yet another regulatory burden on businesses already facing considerable challenges.”
A number of Conservative MPs also spoke out against the plan, despite their own proposals to curb smoking for younger people, with shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins posting on X: “We want to protect our children from taking up smoking and vaping. Our smoke-free generation legislation was designed to do that.
“Stopping adults from smoking in the open air, however, was not part of our plans. Labour is putting our hospitality sector at risk in the process.”
Reform leader Nigel Farage told one newspaper he would “never go to the pub again if outdoor smoking was banned”.
Image: Nigel Farage made his views known outside a pub in Westminster on Thursday. Pic: PA
A smoking ban inside of pubs and other enclosed public spaces was brought in by the last Labour government in 2007.
It led to a 2.4% reduction in hospital admissions for heart attacks and a 12.3% reduction in hospital admissions for childhood asthma within a year, according to Action on Smoking Health (ASH).
ASH said they support the government’s proposals, but it is important for people who smoke to have somewhere outside to do so to prevent them from smoking indoors.
The families of three of the British victims of last week’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad have criticised the UK government’s response to the disaster, saying they “feel utterly abandoned”.
It comes after an Air India Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport in western India, killing 229 passengers and 12 crew. One person on the flight survived.
Among the passengers and crew on the Gatwick-bound aircraft were 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian national.
In a statement, the families of three British citizens who lost their lives said they were calling on the UK government to “immediately step up its presence and response on the ground in Ahmedabad”.
The families said they rushed to India to be by their loved ones’ sides, “only to find a disjointed, inadequate, and painfully slow government reaction”.
“There is no UK leadership here, no medical team, no crisis professionals stationed at the hospital,” said a family spokesperson.
“We are forced to make appointments to see consular staff based 20 minutes away in a hotel, while our loved ones lie unidentified in an overstretched and under-resourced hospital.
“We’re not asking for miracles – we’re asking for presence, for compassion, for action,” another family member said.
The families listed a number of what they called “key concerns”, including a “lack of transparency and oversight in the identification and handling of remains”.
They also demanded a “full crisis team” at the hospital within 24 hours, a British-run identification unit, and financial support for relatives of the victims.
A local doctor had “confirmed” the delays in releasing the bodies were “linked to severe understaffing”, according to the families, who also called for an independent inquiry into the UK government’s response.
“Our loved ones were British citizens. They deserved better in life. They certainly deserve better in death,” the statement added.
Sky News has approached the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment.
Families and friends of the victims have already expressed their anger and frustration – mostly aimed at the authorities in India – over the lack of information.
A mother-of-four was among two skydivers who died following a “tragic accident” at an airfield in Devon.
Belinda Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene following Friday afternoon’s incident in the area of Dunkeswell Aerodrome near Honiton.
On Facebook, her partner Scott Armstrong wrote: “I miss you so much, you were my best friend.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, from making my children feel at home to putting up with my mess.
“… there’s just so much that I don’t have the words to express it.
“I feel so lost. I don’t know where home is without you.”
Image: Dunkeswell Aerodrome near Honiton, Devon. Pic: Google Street View
Ms Taylor’s eldest son, Connor Bowles, paid tribute to a “selfless woman” who was also a grandmother to two young children.
Thanking investigators for their work so far, he told DevonLive: “She will be deeply missed and will leave an everlasting impression on all those she has met in life.”
The identity of the second skydiver who died is yet to be made public, but their family has been informed.
British Skydiving has confirmed it will be investigating the incident – with a report sent to the coroner, the Civil Aviation Authority and the police.
In a statement, SkydiveBuzz, which operates at the airfield, said its “deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and everyone affected by this devastating event”.
A spokesperson added: “Safety is, and always has been, our top priority. We are fully cooperating with the investigation and continue to uphold the highest possible standards in everything we do.
“No further details will be provided at this time. We respectfully ask for privacy for all those affected, including our team, during this incredibly difficult time.”
Career spy Blaise Metreweli will become the first woman to head MI6 in a “historic appointment”, the prime minister has announced.
She will take over from Sir Richard Moore as the 18th Chief, also known as “C”, when he steps down in the autumn.
“The historic appointment of Blaise Metreweli comes at a time when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital,” Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement released on Sunday night.
“The United Kingdom is facing threats on an unprecedented scale – be it aggressors who send their spy ships to our waters or hackers whose sophisticated cyber plots seek to disrupt our public services.”
Of the other main spy agencies, GCHQis also under female command for the first time.
Anne Keast-Butler took on the role in 2023, while MI5 has previously twice been led by a woman.
Until now, a female spy chief had only headed MI6– also known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) – in the James Bond movies.
Image: Blaise Metreweli is the first woman to be named head of MI6. Pic: Reuters
Dame Judi Dench held the fictional role – called “M” in the films instead of “C” – between 1995 and 2015.
Ms Metreweli currently serves as “Q”, one of four director generals inside MI6.
The position – also made famous by the James Bond films, with the fictional “Q” producing an array of spy gadgets – means she is responsible for technology and innovation.
Ms Metreweli, a Cambridge graduate, joined MI6 in 1999.
Unlike the outgoing chief, who spent some of his service as a regular diplomat in the foreign office, including as ambassador to Turkey, she has spent her entire career as an intelligence officer.
Much of that time was dedicated to operational roles in the Middle East and Europe.
Ms Metreweli, who is highly regarded by colleagues, also worked as a director at MI5.
In a statement, she said she was “proud and honoured to be asked to lead my service”.
“MI6 plays a vital role – with MI5 and GCHQ – in keeping the British people safe and promoting UK interests overseas,” she said.
“I look forward to continuing that work alongside the brave officers and agents of MI6 and our many international partners.”
Sir Richard said: “Blaise is a highly accomplished intelligence officer and leader, and one of our foremost thinkers on technology. I am excited to welcome her as the first female head of MI6.”