No fuel shortage in Britain, says minister, as Reeves prepares to set out economic response to Iran war – UK politics live

Energy minister Michael Shanks reassures drivers ahead of chancellor’s statement to MPs

The tobacco and vapes bill, the legislation that will ensure that anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be allowed to legally by cigarettes, is due to finish its passage through parliament soon. MPs voted down anti-government Lords amendments to the bill last night and, when peers pass the final version of the bill, it will become law. It is essentially cross-party legislation, because the original version of the bill was proposed by Rishi Sunak when he was PM. Only 47 MPs voted against the Labour version when it had its second reading in November 24 – 35 Tories, 7 Lib Dems and 4 Reform UK MPs.

But Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, says that if he wins the election, he will get rid of it. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, he claims it will never work.

Ask yourself this. How is the ban meant to work? Ten years from now, a 27-year-old will not be legally able to buy cigarettes, but a 28-year-old will be able to. A decade later 37-year-olds will not be deemed old enough to smoke, but 38-year-olds will be free to do so. And so forth.

The onus will be on the poor shopkeeper to identify those old enough to make a legal purchase. If he fails to carry out his duty as some kind of health policeman, he will be fined £200. How will he ensure that his customers are entitled to make a purchase?

Britain was once held to be a beacon of freedom in the world. Now, as I observed in the Commons, the puritanical spirit of Oliver Cromwell again stalks the land. Our bossy, ruling elite’s default response to something is moving to ban it.

People who speak out against the woke orthodoxy infecting public and now private institutions can expect to have their collars felt. Minority pursuits, such as trail hunting, will be consigned to the history books and anyone who seems to be having fun in a way not approved of by the high priests of the progressive cathedral turns into a target.

I think it is right that members are allowed to make their own choices about who they want to be their candidates in elections – I’ve always thought that right. And while I respect the views of colleagues on the national executive committee, had I been sitting in that seat – is that what you’re asking me, what I would have voted? – yeah, I would have voted to allow him to stand, as Lucy [Powell] did.

[Labour members] deserve to be in the driving seat of their own lives, and it offends me when people are not, and I think that goes for our members as much as everybody else.