Rishi Sunak’s flagship well being coverage of banning cigarettes for the subsequent technology has been undermined right this moment after New Zealand - the primary nation on this planet to suggest the ban - carried out a serious u-turn.

The coverage, handed by left-wing PM Jacinda Ardern in 2022, was championed as a “historic law” serving to 1000's to “live longer, healthier lives”, and save the New Zealand well being service billions of {dollars}.

The justification was copied by Rishi Sunak this Autumn, who introduced an equivalent coverage on the Tory Party convention.

Mr Sunak copied the Antipodean blueprint, pledging {that a} 14-year-old in Britain right this moment won't ever legally be offered a cigarette.

Today Mr Sunak was left embarrassed after New Zealand’s new right-wing coalition introduced a reversal of the important thing coverage.

The New Zealand Conservative National Party beat Labour within the October election, and right this moment introduced it's going to dump the world-leading coverage on the grounds it's “unnecessary”.

Attention has now moved on to the UK’s mirror coverage, now Rishi Sunak has been left deserted by his solely worldwide ally on the matter.

Asked this afternoon whether or not Mr Sunak will now comply with Wellington’s lead, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman mentioned: “No, our position remains unchanged”.

“We are committed to that.”

"This is an important long-term decision and step to deliver a smoke-free generation which remains critically important.”

However, those on the right have already begun lobbying for Mr Sunak to ditch the policy, both on the grounds it is unconservative and impractical.

Speaking to the Express this afternoon, senior Tory MP Sir John Hayes said it is now clearly time for a major rethink.

“Clearly we now need to have a rethink about the blanket generational ban here in the UK.

“It is evidently unworkable, impractical and deeply unconservative.

“It is heartening to see New Zealand have recognised this and after speaking to many of my colleagues, I am quietly confident the government will see sense and follow suit.”

He was joined by the Freedom Association, the Institute for Economic Affairs and David Campbell Bannerman of the Conservative Democratic Organisation, who all demanded a u-turn on the anti-freedom policy.

Andrew Allison, chief executive of the Freedom Association, said: "Rishi Sunak is now an outlier”.

“New Zealand has ditched this policy and it is time for him to do so. Very few children start smoking these days, and those who do will still be able to buy cigarettes if this policy becomes law. Those cigarettes will be bought on the black market and will be even more harmful than the cigarettes purchased legally.

“This proposed graduated ban is unworkable nonsense from a Prime Minister who is rapidly running out of ideas.”

The IEA’s Christopher Snowdon mentioned: “The Kiwi U-turn comes simply weeks after the Malaysian authorities deserted the same coverage as a result of age discrimination is unconstitutional. Prime Minster Rishi Sunak now stands alone, carrying the torch of a coverage dreamt up by Jacinda Ardern on the fag-end of a Labour authorities on the opposite facet of the world".

Mr Campbell Bannerman expressed his delight that "sense has returned in New Zealand", but warned that the UK risked looking "ridiculous and remoted by persisting with a generational smoking ban."

"We can't go on with this bunker mentality any longer. It's time to finish the obsessive fixation on minor issues and get up for wider freedoms," he added.