On Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer announced that his administration was considering making smoking illegal in a number of public areas, such as parks, outdoor dining areas, and nightclubs.
However, in response to the announcement, former minister for “common sense” Esther McVey shared a well-known poem by Martin Niemöller about German inactivity against the Nazis during World War II, along with the comment, “Pertinent words re Starmer’s smoking ban.”
In an X statement later, the Jewish advocacy group called the use of language describing “the horrors of the Nazis” and drawing comparisons to the proposals “an ill-considered and repugnant action.
They continued, saying: “We would strongly encourage Tatton’s MP to take down her tweet and issue an apology for this incredibly careless comparison.”
Ellie Reeves, the chair of the Labour Party, referred to Ms. Mcvey’s article as “grossly offensive from someone who sat at the Tory cabinet table just months ago” and demanded that Rishi Sunak, the head of the Conservative Party, and every candidate seeking his replacement denounce it.
