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The original was posted on /r/worldnews by /u/blkaino on 2024-06-29 06:26:00+00:00.
Revealed: how Sunak dropped smoking ban amid lobbying from tobacco firms
Submitted 2 years ago by bot@lemmit.online [bot] to worldnews@lemmit.online
autotldr@lemmings.world [bot] 2 years ago
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Rishi Sunak abandoned his “legacy” policy to ban smoking for future generations amid a backlash from the tobacco industry in the form of legal threats, lobbying and a charm offensive aimed at Conservative MPs, an investigation reveals.
The UK had been on course to become the first country to ban smoking for future generations, via the tobacco and vaping bill, which Downing Street hoped would help define Sunak’s place in British political history.
After months of fierce opposition from the industry – and intervention from MPs and thinktanks with ties to tobacco firms – the proposal was excluded from the “wash-up” process, when outgoing governments choose which policies to fast-track and which to drop.
Imperial and BAT wrote to the health secretary, Victoria Atkins, in February, to claim the consultation process preceding legislation was “unlawful” because industry views had not been considered.
PMI told the Guardian the bill risked “confusing” consumers because it included restrictions on some smoke-free products such as vapes, adding that it “firmly believes in phasing out cigarettes, to the benefit of the 6.4 million adult smokers in the UK”.
Two Conservative MPs, including Badenoch’s closest political aide, also attended a lunch and drinks reception hosted by the smoking lobby group Forest, days before the tobacco bill was in effect shelved.
The original article contains 1,103 words, the summary contains 214 words. Saved 81%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!