Newsagents' cigarette plans anger

12 April 2012

Thousands of newsagents are threatening to boycott the Labour Party at the General Election if legislation is passed banning them from openly displaying cigarettes.

They believe the move - due to be debated by MPs this week - would drive hundreds of small retailers out of business.

A spokesman for the National Federation of Retail Newsagents told the BBC's Politics Show: "No-one wants to see youngsters smoking, but there is absolutely no evidence from the three other countries in the world that have introduced a display ban that it stops underage smoking.

"If the vote on Monday goes against newsagents - our 18,000 members - then they will vote with their feet. This will be very bad news for Gordon Brown."

Retailers say it will cost more than £250 million to implement the ban, because shops will have to be refitted after removing the displays.

The move is part of the Government's Health Bill, which was given its second reading in the Commons in June.

Ministers and health campaigners insist that putting cigarettes on open view encourages young people to buy them.

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