READ MORE: <\/strong> Full list of Rishi Sunak’s promises for north of England as HS2 leg scrapped<\/strong><\/p>\n A source close to Ms Truss said: “She will vote against the proposal to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco year by year.<\/p>\n “You will recall that in her speech on the fringe on Monday she talked about the need for Conservatives to ‘stop banning things'”.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, other influential MPs have publicly attacked the plans.<\/p>\n Chairman of the influential Common Sense Group Sir John Hayes said: “If the Prime Minister had wanted to raise the smoking age to 21 then most people would have supported him.<\/p>\n “But this is a ludicrous idea and will end up with 40-year-olds being allowed to smoke but 39-year-olds not at some point.<\/p>\n “People will forever be having to confirm their age. I can’t imagine why the Prime Minister has been persuaded by this madness.”<\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies, who is a GB News presenter, called the plan an attack on personal freedom.<\/p>\n He said: “I will be voting against the anti-freedom, anti-personal responsibility smoking age policy – silly idea and completely unenforceable.<\/p>\n “In 40 years’ time, are we really going to be asking 60 year olds for age ID?”<\/p>\n Simon Clark, director of the smokers\u2019 rights group Forest, said: \u201cThese are desperate measures by a desperate prime minister.<\/p>\n \u201cRaising the age of sale of tobacco is creeping prohibition, but it won\u2019t stop young people smoking because prohibition doesn’t work. Anyone who wants to smoke will buy tobacco abroad or from illicit sources.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the opposite of levelling up, it\u2019s dumbing down. Future generations of adults who are considered old enough to vote, pay taxes, drive a car and drink alcohol are going to be treated like children and denied the right to buy a product that\u00a0can be purchased\u00a0legally by people a\u00a0year older than them.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Sunak though warned that there was no level of smoking which “is not harmful” and said that the health problems caused by smoking made the measure vitel.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/139\/590x\/secondary\/Rishi-4994229.jpg?r=1696432814106\")
<\/p>\n
Rishi Sunak just became a Tory Gordon Brown \u2013 and that should really worry him[INSIGHT] <\/strong>
Tory winners and losers at Conference – nobody’s talking about Boris[REACT] <\/strong>
Tory activists call for Priti Patel to be leader as she calls for party unity[REVEAL] <\/strong><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/139\/590x\/secondary\/Farage-4994245.jpg?r=1696432814154\")
<\/p>\n