7,700 corner shops & off licences will CLOSE with 70k jobs axed thanks to Keir Starmer’s smoking crackdown, report warns
A WHOPPING 7,700 corner shops and off licences will close and 70,000 jobs scrapped if Keir Starmer's smoking crackdown goes through.
A report has said that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which affects the legal smoking age, will lead to thousands of shops to shutter.
The generational sales ban (GSB) increases the age customers can legally buy tobacco by one every year until no one will be able to purchase cigarettes.
Kier Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting drew up the proposal, which has its second reading in the House of Lords later this month.
In a report named The Backbone of the UK Under Attack by Dr Maged Ali, a professor at the University of Essex, the potentially negative consequences of the ban have been laid out.
The report said: “At a time when the UK needs to empower its private sector to drive recovery, each new restrictive regulation, like the GSB, does the opposite, adding to the burden on retailers, weakening the economy in ways that may be irreversible.
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“Banning an entire generation from purchasing tobacco will have profound economic consequences, costing tens of thousands of retail jobs and stripping the Government of billions in tax revenue.
“Consumers will not stop buying; they will turn to the illicit market, which will quickly fill the gap. Profits will flow to criminals instead of legitimate retailers, while the Government wastes resources enforcing a ban that fails to curb demand.”
Dr Ali wrote how nearly 8,000 stores will be forced to close and 70,100 staff members will lose their jobs over the next thirty years.
He raised concerns that if the younger generation isn't permitted to purchase tobacco, they will simply turn to the black market.
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He described this as a "lose-lose-lose" situation in which shops shutter, government revenue reduces, and the black market increases.
With the elimination of tobacco, the government could miss out on an eye-watering £23.8billion in taxes.
The cost of enforcement is also touted to cost £828 million which will be spent on administering and maintaining the ban.
With the cost of living crisis, increased rent, and reduced footfall on the high street, convenience stores are already struggling to survive.
Dr Ali warns that by cutting off tobacco, a major money-maker in off licences, they will be hit even harder.
The report also maps out which regions will be most affected by the ban, as he predicts consequences wont be proportionate.
Scotland and Wales will bear the brunt of the effects, with 5 per cent of retailers at risk of closing in Scotland and 3.4 per cent in Wales.
Rishi Sunak attempted to bring in a smoking ban in early 2024 but was met with a lot of pushback from Conservative MPs.
Kier Starmer also faced furious Brits after announcing a ban on vaping and smoking in pub gardens - which was rescinded.
Many however call for a flat-out ban of smoking immediately due to its contribution to lung cancer.
The NHS says smoking cigarettes is the single biggest risk factor for lung cancer and is responsible for more than seven out of 10 cases
A government spokesman said: “We are rightly delivering the world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill, creating the first smoke-free generation and ending the cycle of addiction and disadvantage.
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“It’s absolutely vital that we support local retailers and get Britain’s high street thriving again, which is why we will be producing guidance to support them through these changes.
“We will protect the smallest businesses from the employer National Insurance rise and late payments, and capping corporation tax. We are also protecting retailers and small businesses by providing 40 per cent business rates relief next year and a new permanent lower business rate from 2026.”
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CAN Labour’s nanny state plans to ban smoking outdoors really survive economic reality?
The Sun says while voters are broadly in favour of clampdowns on smoking, they fear it will lead to even more of their local boozers being closed.
The pub trade is a lifeline for local communities.
Yet hundreds would close and thousands of jobs would be lost.
And for what?
The cancer risks from passive smoking outdoors are surely negligible.
And a crackdown on adult vaping — the main weapon in the NHS fight against smoking — makes no sense either.
Stamping over personal freedoms and decimating a key part of the economy for such little obvious gain is madness.