Topics: Politics, Keir Starmer, King Charles III, Vaping, Health
The King's Speech unveiled some updates that Keir Starmer's new government plans to introduce - including some major new crackdowns.
Labour won by a landslide victory in the recent general election on 5 July and booted Rishi Sunak's Conservative party out of 10 Downing Street.
With Starmer now set to take his place as Prime Minister, the upcoming Labour legislation was announced in the King’s Speech on July 17.
A total of 40 bills were mentioned by King Charles III to the House of Lords, with some having been carried over from the previous parliamentary season.
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Several bills that were introduced by Rishi Sunak’s government, including those concerning smoking and vaping, were put on hold before being dropped after the election season.
But it looks like they will be making a return, as well as some new additions that target the sale of specific items to children.
So what bans do the new Labour government plan to implement?
The conversation around progressively increasing the age at which people can purchase cigarettes, has been circulating since Rishi Sunak announced his plans back when he was Prime Minister.
And it seems as though Starmer also backs the idea and intends to introduce the law during his time in government.
During the King’s Speech, Charles said: “A Bill will be introduced to progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes.”
The bill aims to stop anyone born on or after January 1, 2009 from ever buying cigarettes.
This would mean that the legal age would gradually increase, creating a smoke-free generation.
This new proposed law plans to make the UK a healthier nation long-term.
Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty said: “A smoke free country would prevent disease, disability and premature deaths long into the future.
“Smoking causes harm across the life course from stillbirth, asthma in children, cancer, strokes, heart attacks and dementia.”
The Vapes Bill was also one that was set aside during the election period, which was introduced by the Tories.
And it’s another plan that Starmer wishes to carry forward, which will reform how vapes are marketed - specifically at children.
Kid-friendly flavours like bubble gum and candy floss will be included in the crackdown, and the Bill will also restrict the packaging and display of other products like tobacco pouches, that can entice children to smoke.
The King announced that the new government plans to ‘impose limits on the sale and marketing of vapes’.
While not a ban per say, the Labour government is planning to introduce new legislation to ‘restrict advertising of junk food to children along with the sale of high caffeine energy drinks’.
Under the new law, drinks containing more than 150mg (0.03 teaspoons) of caffeine per litre would be banned from sale, in retail outlets and online, to under-16s, as per The Sun.
When asked why Labour was not including drinks such as coffee in this legislation during his campaign, Starmer answered that 'because this is aimed at children and the sort of drinks that at the moment, the energy drinks, that they are drinking'.
He added to 'talk to anyone who's in a school and they'll tell you what the problem is'.
It will mean that landlords cannot kick their tenants out of their rental property without a reason - ensuring a level of security for renters.
It also gives them more power to challenge unreasonable rent increases without the fear of being shipped out of the place they call home.
