Pub garden smoking ban 'will be DROPPED' after Britons slammed plans

A ban on smoking in outdoor spaces, such as pub beer gardens, could be abandoned.

The Government is said to be 'spooked' by warnings from the hospitality industry that the measure could lead to job losses and pub closures.

It has reportedly stepped in to remove the policy from the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which is yet to be published, according to the Guardian.

The paper reported that No 10 privately believes that banning people from smoking in pub beer gardens is 'an unserious' policy that is not backed up by good evidence.

They are said to be worried by the fierce opposition from the hospitality trade which was prompted by the plans.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said earlier this week that the long-delayed Bill would be tabled before Christmas.

It will prevent those under the age of 14 from ever being allowed to smoke, eventually eradicating the habit which claims 80,000 lives each year.

Mr Streeting vowed that the Bill would go further than that proposed by Rishi Sunak who originally set out the plans to phase out smoking.

But he also conceded: 'There's always those choices and trade-offs about the benefits [to] the public health ... and then potential downsides that people raise, either believing that it's too far an encroachment on people's lives and liberty or that it might impact on businesses.'

Read More

MailOnline asks the public what they REALLY think of Labour's outdoor smoking ban

The proposed addition of a ban on outdoor smoking is said to be behind the delay to publishing the Bill.

Last night, the Guardian revealed that No 10 was said to be 'spooked' by warnings from the hospitality industry that job losses and pub closures will ensure if it goes ahead with the ban.

It reported that Morgan McSweeney, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, is not keen on proceeding with it.

'It is an unserious policy. Nobody really believes smoking outdoors is a major health problem,' one Downing Street official told the paper.

The trade body UKHospitality warned that the ban could result in 'serious economic harm to hospitality venues'.

It said it would hit nightclubs, hotels, cafes and restaurants as well as pubs.

The British Beer and Pub Association said the policy was 'deeply concerning and difficult to understand' and 'yet another blow to the viability of our nation's vital community assets'.

It said the policy 'would have a devastating impact on pubs already struggling' with rising costs.

A second No 10 official confirmed to the paper it has been blocking the plan as a direct result of such concerns.

Read More

EXCLUSIVE
Don't take away our freedoms! MailOnline asks the public what they think about Starmer's pub plans

Hazel Cheeseman, the chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said: 'Given the commitment in the king's speech to legislation it has been concerning to see little public progress.

'Outdoor smoking restrictions are important to debate and could help more people avoid harms from second-hand smoke and help those quitting smoking to avoid relapse.'

The Department of Health and Social Care said it did not comment on leaks. But a spokesman added: 'We are determined to protect children and non-smokers from the harms of second-hand smoking.

'We're considering a range of measures to put us on track to a smoke-free UK.'

A Labour source said: 'No decision has been taken on pubs and hospitality.'

When news of the ban was first leaked in August, MailOnline spoke to punters across the country on the Prime Minister's 'aggressive' plans to ban the activity in pub gardens, near stadiums and outdoor restaurants.

Glynis Essex, 68, a retired nursery nurse from Leicester, said: 'I'm still going to smoke, you can't just stop. 

'I was told last year at gay pride to stop smoking so I stood on the other side of the barrier and I was told to stop again.

Read More

Nanny-state Starmer? Labour minister suggests pubs could be forced to SLASH their opening hours

'I was on a public pavement. Why are they taking all my enjoyment away? What else is Keir going to do to cripple us all? You'll be paying for fresh air soon.

'We've already had it barred from the pubs and it's the cigarette taxes that keep the country going. Does he not want people to have a life? He's clamping down on everything.

'What is wrong with the man?'

Mark Brennan, who has smoked since he was 18, told MailOnline: 'I go to pub gardens to smoke outside so it will impact me. The government should lay off a little bit. The policy is too much. It's too aggressive.

'The bars are struggling already since Covid. It's becoming a dictatorial state being told what to do.'

The 55-year-old, from Newcastle, added: 'I'm trying to stop smoking, I've tried a few times and haven't succeeded.

'I have mixed feelings on it. It will help people stop eventually. There's a lot of people smoking and it isn't good for you.'

In August, leaked Whitehall documents outlining the idea were blasted by hospitality leaders and MPs.