Tory doubts smoulder over Sunak’s smoking move

Rishi Sunak’s legacy legislation to phase out smoking has cleared its first hurdle – largely thanks to Labour MPs. Despite being wildly popular with the public (a recent YouGov poll put support for the change at 71 per cent) and the promise of health and economic benefits, Sunak’s policy met with widespread resistance from his own party. A total of 57 Conservatives voted against the tobacco and vapes bill and 106 abstained. Little more than half of Tory MPs voted in favour of their leader’s landmark legislation. But this is about more than cigarettes or even freedom of choice. This week’s vote was the first salvo in the next Tory leadership contest, which may happen sooner than many would like.