Starmer risks clash with pub firms over plan for outdoor smoking ban

Public backs move but hospitality groups fear serious economic harm’

-  Peter Walker Sarah Butler Caroline Davies

Keir Starmer is on a collision course with the hospitality industry and political opponents after signalling plans for significant curbs on outdoor smoking. The proposals, not denied by the prime minister yesterday, would potentially bar tobacco use outside pubs and restaurants, including on pavements. They would come on top of existing plans to gradually outlaw smoking year by year.

The latter proposal was devised under Rishi Sunak, but the Conservatives argued restrictions on outdoor smoking were about "social control", with Priti Patel, among those standing to replace Sunak as Tory leader, calling them "beyond stupid".

The proposals were met with despair by the pub industry, which claimed restrictions on outdoor smoking could harm a fragile sector still recovering from Covid.

However, health experts backed the idea, while polling showed it had majority support among every demographic and voting group apart from Reform UK supporters.

The plan, first revealed via documents leaked to the Sun, would restrict smoking outside pubs and restaurants, as well as clubs, and at universities, children's play areas and small parks, and potentially shisha bars. It was unclear as to whether this could also cover vaping.

The measures would be included in an already announced tobacco and vapes bill, which is intended to gradually make all smoking illegal by prohibiting the sale of tobacco to people born on or after January 2009.

When this was announced in July's king's speech, it did not mention changes to outdoor smoking.

As public health is devolved, the measures would apply to only England, with the other UK nations deciding if they wanted to follow suit.