Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has slammed a proposed ban on smoking outdoors at pubs, arguing it could have significant consequences for regular patrons and taxpayers.
Speaking at the Westminster Arms pub in central London, Farage labeled smokers as “heroes of the nation” due to the significant tax revenues generated from tobacco sales.
“I’ve been coming here for 30 years,” he said, arguing that many customers prefer drinking outside because they can smoke. According to Farage, the government has not fully considered the ramifications of such a ban.
Farage’s comments come amid ongoing discussions over expanding the existing indoor smoking ban to include outdoor areas such as beer gardens, university campuses, and sports grounds.
Leftist Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, speaking separately, claimed that smoking-related deaths are preventable and that the government would make decisions to mitigate these deaths.
The prior Conservative government was also radically anti-smoking and had aimed to prevent the sale of tobacco products to individuals born after January 1, 2009. Labour has indicated plans to reintroduce similar measures after the July election, which halted the proposal.
Farage has also criticized such a proposal, contending that such regulations drive tobacco sales into the illegal market. He cited Australia as an example where increased taxes have purportedly led to a rise in criminal activity related to tobacco sales.
New Zealand introduced the same type of smoking ban but later reversed it to recover lost tax revenue.
Indoor smoking has been banned in the UK since 2007, and the National Health Service (NHS) has claimed the ban has led to positive health outcomes; it has also coincided with the massive decline of pubs nationwide.
