UK

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has urged his cabinet to think of “future generations” and back his flagship smoking ban as he seeks to avoid humiliation at the hands of his own party. No 10 said the prime minister believes that “if we want to build a better future for our children” then the government has to tackle a habit that costs 80,000 lives a year. But he is braced for more than 50 Tory MPs to defy his call and vote against the plans, which would prevent those under the age of 15 ever buying cigarettes. The business secretary Kemi Badenoch, the environment secretary Steve Barclay and the Scotland secretary Alister Jack could also abstain when MPs vote on the plans later, according to reports.Among the high-profile opponents are former prime minister Liz Truss, who has vowed to vote against the Bill, arguing in favour of freedom of choice. Last week another former prime minister, Boris Johnson, described the plan as “nuts”.Former health secretary Lord Clarke has warned the move risks being difficult to enforce. “You will get to a stage where if you are 42 years of age, you will be able to buy them but someone aged 41 will not be allowed to,” he told The Telegraph. “Does that mean you will have to produce your birth certificate? It may prove very difficult to enforce. Future generations will have to see whether it works or not.”MPs will have a free vote on the ban, announced by the prime minister with great fanfare at last year’s Conservative party conference. The government has decided not to whip the vote, saying it is a matter of conscience. It is expected to pass as it has been backed by Labour. MPs are to vote on the proposed smokig ban More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailFor a prime minister in office for just 49 days, Liz Truss’s new book is jam-packed with jaw-dropping tales from her time in Downing Street.The ex-Tory leader, who took over from Boris Johnson in the summer of 2022, has offered a look behind the scenes in her memoir Ten Years to Save the West.From thinking “why me, why now?” after learning the Queen had died to suggesting Boris Johnson’s dog left fleas in No10, The Independent looks at the key revelations from the bombshell book.She thought ‘why me, why now?’ after Queen’s deathMs Truss has revealed that she thought “why me, why now?” when she learnt that the Queen had died – just two days after she had been sworn in as prime minister.Liz Truss thought ‘why me, why now?’ after learning the Queen had died More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch live as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which would prohibit the sale of tobacco to people born after 1 January 2009 and restrict sale of vapes, is debated in parliament on Tuesday 16 April.MPs will discuss and vote for the first time on government plans to stop young people from ever smoking.Rishi Sunak sees the bill as a key part of his long-term legacy as he bids to “stamp out smoking for good”.However, the prime minister is set to face opposition to the legislation from within his own party.The bill has attracted condemnation from senior Conservatives including former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, who argue it impacts upon people’s freedoms.England’s chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, has rejected those “pro-choice” arguments and suggested resistance to the plan was “surprising”.Mr Sunak has granted his MPs a free vote on the issue later on Tuesday, with several expected to reject the plan – although with Labour supporting it, the measure is likely to comfortably clear its first House of Commons hurdle. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak will give Rwanda £50m as soon as his flagship deportation bill becomes law, the Home Office has admitted.With the bill expected to gain royal assent this week, the UK will send Kigali the latest payment of cash despite no migrants having been sent to the east African nation.The policy is designed to let the government deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda, by deeming the country “safe” in British law, with the government expecting initial flights to take off in the coming months.But just a handful of migrants are expected to be sent to Rwanda before the general election, expected this autumn.Appearing before the House of Commons public accounts committee, Home Office permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft said Britain would hand Rwanda the £50m sum “as soon as we have royal assent”.Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda scheme will head back to the Lords on Tuesday (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s plans to stop young people from ever smoking risk making smoking cooler, a Tory MP has warned.If passed, the tobacco and vapes bill would prevent anyone who turns 15 this year, or younger, from ever being able to legally buy tobacco products in England. It will be debated in parliament for the first time on Tuesday.But Conservative MP Simon Clarke said he is “both sceptical and downright opposed” to the plans, claiming they could help create a black market. He said: “There are good ways to tackle a problem like this and then there are bad ways, and I think that an outright ban risks being counterproductive.“I think it actually risks making smoking cooler, it certainly risks creating a black market, and it also risks creating a unmanageable challenge for the authorities.”Sir Simon said education and the tax system should be used as tools to deter people from smoking.Sir Simon has previously called for Mr Sunak to go before the election (Danny Lawson/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailFormer prime minister Liz Truss has endorsed Donald Trump to win this year’s US presidential election. Ms Truss, Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, said the “world was safer” under Trump’s presidency as she criticised incumbent Joe Biden. The former PM, who was in office for 49 days, suggested it “has to be” Trump following the US presidential election due to take place in November.“I don’t think (President Joe) Biden has been particularly supportive to the United Kingdom. I think he’s often on the side of the EU. And I certainly think I would like to see a new president in the White House,” she told LBC. Read the latest updates on Truss’s new book hereMs Truss claimed the former president’s economic policies “were actually very effective”, adding: “He cut regulation, he cut taxes, he liberated the US energy supply. And this is why the US has had significantly higher economic growth than Britain.. In foreign affairs, he was more effective at preventing aggressive regimes expanding and I think we’d be in a different position if he got re-elected in 2020.”She doubled-down on these comments, telling the BBC: “I do agree that under Donald Trump when he was president of the United States, the world was safer.“I want to work with fellow conservatives to take on what I believe is a real threat of Western society and civilization being undermined by left-wing extreme ideas.”However, Ms Truss added she doesn’t agree with “absolutely everything he’s ever said”. Liz Truss speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailCreating a sexually explicit “deepfake” image is to be made an offence under new legislation, the Ministry of Justice has announced.Under the new legislation, anyone who creates a sexually explicit deepfake without consent will face a criminal record and an unlimited fine.They could even face jail, if the image is shared more widely.The creation of a deepfake will be an offence irrespective of whether the creator intended to share it or not, the department added.The new offence will be introduced through an amendment to the controversial Criminal Justice Bill, which is still making its way through Parliament.Minister for Victims and Safeguarding Laura Farris said the creation of deepfake sexual images is “unacceptable irrespective of whether the image is shared”.“It is another example of ways in which certain people seek to degrade and dehumanise others – especially women,” she said.“And it has the capacity to cause catastrophic consequences if the material is shared more widely. This Government will not tolerate it.“This new offence sends a crystal clear message that making this material is immoral, often misogynistic, and a crime.”Deborah Joseph, European editorial director of Glamour welcomed the planned amendment.“In a recent Glamour survey, we found 91% of our readers believe deepfake technology poses a threat to the safety of women, and from hearing personal stories from victims, we also know how serious the impact can be,” she said.“While this is an important first step, there is still a long way to go before women will truly feel safe from this horrendous activity.”Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, welcomed the announcement too.“Superimposing somebody’s image onto sexually explicit photos and videos is a gross violation of their autonomy and privacy, which can cause enormous harm, and it must not be tolerated,” she said.Ms Cooper said it was “vital” the Government gets ahead of “fast-changing threats”.She added: “It’s essential that the police and prosecutors are equipped with the training and tools required to rigorously enforce these laws in order to stop perpetrators from acting with impunity”. More