Revealed: The 67 MPs who rebelled against Rishi Sunak's proposed smoking ban - ... trends now
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Rishi Sunak's proposed smoking ban cleared its first parliamentary hurdle tonight as 383 MPs voted in favour of the Prime Minister's plans.
The House of Commons overwhelmingly approved the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to phase in a ban on the sale of tobacco products for people born after 2009.
It would mean children aged 15 or younger today will never legally be sold a cigarette in England.
The PM's Bill also gives the Government powers to tackle youth vaping, with restrictions on flavours and new rules on packaging and selling vapes.
He views the ban as a key part of his long-term legacy and has allowed MPs a free vote on the issue.
However, 67 Tory MPs - including six Government ministers - actively opposed his plans, while many more abstained from voting.
Rishi Sunak's proposed smoking ban cleared its first parliamentary hurdle tonight as 383 MPs voted in favour of the Prime Minister's plans. However, 59 Tory MPs - including six Government ministers - actively opposed his plans, while many more abstained from voting
The Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch voted against Rishi Sunak's ban on smoking today
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman also voted against Rishi Sunak's ban on smoking today
A total of 165 Conservative MPs failed to back their leader's Bill tonight, which was just under half the total of 347 Tory MPs in the Commons.
Some of the significant Tory MPs who voted against the Bill include Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and ex-Cabinet ministers Suella Braverman, Sir Simon Clarke, Robert Jenrick, and Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Other notable Noes came from Reform MP for Ashfield Lee Anderson and the Workers Party of Britain MP for Rochdale George Galloway.
Some Tory MPs decided to not vote at all including the Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, and ex-defence secretary Ben Wallace.
Even Chancellor of the Exchequer and former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt abstained from voting.
All of the Tory MPs who voted against the Bill or abstained from voting done so without the fear of being sacked due to Mr Sunak's move to make the issue a 'conscience vote'.
Some 178 Conservatives supported the Bill according to the list, alongside 160 Labour MPs, 31 SNP MPs, 5 Liberal Democrats, 3 Plaid Cymru MPs, 2 independents, and the Alliance Party's Stephen Farry.
