Health leaders and hospitality business owners have clashed over the government's proposed ban on cigarettes in pub gardens and other outdoor areas. Keir Starmer said on Thursday that the measure was being proposed to prevent unnecessary deaths and reduce the burden on the NHS, adding that more than 80,000 people die as a result of smoking every year.
But Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said earlier that the plan had "understandably caused concern across the sector" and asked if the UK risked becoming a "nanny state".He added: "While these measures may rightly be driven by public health considerations, they risk dividing opinion and imposing yet another regulatory burden on businesses already facing considerable challenges.