Tobacco and Vapes Bill ranks lowest in Labour MPs’ priorities, poll reveals
September 17, 2024
A selection of disposable vapes with bright and colourful packaging are seen in a convenience store, on January 29, 2024 in London, England.
(Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
A recent poll of sitting Labour MPs has unveiled their legislative priorities for the upcoming months, with a notable finding: the Tobacco and Vapes Bill ranks dead last.
The survey, conducted by polling firm Survation, asked 102 Labour MPs—nearly a quarter of the total—to anonymously rank the importance of various bills announced in the King’s speech.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill received the lowest priority among MPs. Only four MPs listed it in their top three priorities for the coming months.
Nearly half of them (48 per cent) said the proposed bill is their lowest priority.
The poll, carried out between 29 July and 1 September, coincided with prime minister Keir Starmer announcing his support on 29 July for banning smoking in some outdoor spaces, including pub gardens.
The government is considering a smoking ban in pub and restaurant gardens and terraces, outdoor sports stadiums, children’s parks and pavements near hospitals and universities, according to reports.
Labour Party, which won a general election in July, said in its campaign manifesto it planned to introduce some of the world’s strictest anti-smoking rules by banning younger people from smoking.
The previous Conservative government had announced similar measures but the plan failed to become law before the election was called.
Ed Miliband’s Great British Energy Bill led the list of prioritis, with 27 per cent of MPs marking it as their top priority, 25 per cent as their second, and 15 per cent as their third. The Employment Rights Bill follows in second place, with 57 per cent of MPs including it in their top three priorities despite concerns about its impact on small and medium-sized businesses.
The Crime and Policing Bill, which focuses on increasing recruitment for community support officers, is ranked third. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, while frequently a top concern for the public, is only fourth among MPs, with just one in ten MPs ranking it as their highest priority.
Additional bills addressing renters’ rights, the return of railways to public ownership, a new skills bill, anti-terrorism measures, and legislation for victims and courts are placed fifth through ninth respectively.
