Sunak is under fire for dirty tactics in pushing through his smoking ban – now delayed by over a month. Guido hears between 80 and 100 Tory MPs are strongly opposed to the bill, which is currently getting repeatedly ironed through the Department of Health. The government is desperate to avoid the bill going through with Labour votes…

The government’s consultation on the “Smokefree Generation” has broken guidance by going for too short an amount of time and being for a pre-determined policy. The government is also breaking standard practice by refusing to publish the names of the 896 organisations that responded to the tobacco ban consultation – likely because they are mostly linked to the huge public health industry. It also goes so far as to say “we have not considered” the views of any respondent with any possible vested interest in tobacco, like independent retailers. Rendering the consultation completely useless…

Tory MPs’ questions asking for clarity are being shunned. Simon Clark, director of smokers’ rights group Forest tells Guido “the public needs to know the extent to which the Government has manipulated both the consultation and the debate about a generational smoking ban.” There’s no smoke without fire…