Calls for apology after Lib Dem smoking gag
The remark was made at the expense of Labour’s plans to increase funding for the NHS which includes to proposals to to increase duty on tobacco. ty.
Mr McGregor said: “People in the UK spend £15 billion on tobacco in a given year, £9.5 billion of that goes in tax and duty to the Government and the total amount of money spent on healthcare due to is only £5 billion.
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Hide Ad“So, in fact, smokers keep smoking - you give an extra £4 billion a year to the NHS to keep it running - sorry, but that’s they way you want to look at it.”
Coun Megan Swift (Lab, Town) called for Mr McGregor to apologise for his ‘flippant’ remarks.
However, Coun James Baker (Lib Dem, Warley) insisted that Mr McGregor was making a point about Labour’s NHS policy.
He said: “It’s not consistent to say you want people to stop smoking but also smoking will fund things.”
He went on to accuse Labour of “actively planning to fund services on people’s addictions.”