Interesting developments over at the Treasury Committee inquiry into high street non-compliance which touches on outlets dodging tobacco and vapes duty. ‘Public health’ group (read: anti-tobacco lobby) ASH was invited to give evidence at a recent session as they generally always are by MPs examining these issues. Same old voices, same old arguments…
Chief Executive Hazel Cheeseman was forthright claiming that the illicit market for cigarettes is “not currently exploding” and that legal and illegal cigarettes are “as bad as each other”. Can that be accurate?
Guido has seen industry evidence submitted to the Committee that casts doubt on those claims, including citing a UCL survey which found that 23% of smokers had purchased illicit tobacco over the six months, while Cancer Research UK’s consumption-based estimate implies more cigarettes are smoked in the UK than HMRC taxes. Moreover: “a peer-reviewed study listed by the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub found that sampled counterfeit cigarettes can contain or deliver higher levels of certain toxic metals than authentic comparator products.” Oops…
The list of ASH claims looks shaky at best. If you only invite campaigners on one side of the debate to a Committee hearing, you only get one view of the evidence…
Andy Haldane, Burnham’s recent adviser on the economy who has not taken up a No10 job, told Andrew Marr on LBC:
“The market now suspects that this is a traditional tax-and-spend socialist government with better TikTok videos…
imposing windfall taxes on oil & gas or on banks or upping capital gains tax would […] repeat the mistake that Rachel made […] The Achilles heel, the fiscal Achilles heel of this government thus far has been its unwillingness and/or inability to cut public spending.”