Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Third Reading

What happened: The House of Commons voted on 26 March 2025 to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at Third Reading, the final stage before the Bill moves to the House of Lords. The vote passed by 366 ayes to 41 noes, a majority of 325. Third Reading is the last opportunity for MPs to approve or reject a bill in its entirety before it leaves the Commons.

Why it matters: The Bill introduces what the Government describes as a smokefree generation by progressively raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco products. A person turning 16 in 2025 will never legally be able to buy cigarettes, as the minimum age rises by one year with each passing year. The legislation also tightens regulation of vaping and other nicotine products, restricts advertising of those products, and strengthens enforcement powers for trading standards. Supporters argue it is the most significant public health intervention since the ban on smoking in public places in 2007, with the potential to prevent tens of thousands of deaths linked to smoking, which currently causes over 80,000 deaths per year in England.

The politics: The vote produced a large cross-party majority, with all 288 Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs present voting in favour, joined by 38 Liberal Democrats and representatives of Plaid Cymru, the Green Party, the DUP and the Traditional Unionist Voice. Conservative MPs were the most divided: 24 voted in favour while 30 voted against, with 62 absent. Reform UK's four attending MPs all voted no. The Bill builds on legislation that the previous Conservative government had itself introduced, which created an unusual dynamic in which some Conservatives actively supported the Bill while others opposed it on grounds of personal liberty or concerns about the illegal tobacco market.