Restore wants to bring back smoking in pubs

Craig Munro | Senior Politics Reporter Published July 23, 2026 3:27pm Updated July 23, 2026 3:31pm The smoking ban was introduced in Scottish pubs in 2006, and English pubs in 2007 (Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images) It has now been 19 years since smoking was banned inside English pubs, and over that time support for the measure has only increased. According to a 2024 poll, 88% of the British public say they back the public health measure – including 70% of smokers. But for those still craving a return to the smell of smoke-saturated stool cushions and patches of ash on the carpet, an option is out there. The hard-right Restore Britain party, led by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, has pledged to bring back indoor smoking in pubs if it wins power. And Lowe doesn’t want to stop there – he also