EXCLUSIVE: A stand bearing the slogan “Labour’s inconvenience store” was placed at the entry of the conference, seen by thousands of people on their way in and out of the event
Lobbyists partially funded by a US group who took cash from the tobacco industry were given a prime spot in Reform UK’s annual conference – without declaring the links.
A stand bearing the slogan “Labour’s inconvenience store” was placed at the entry of the conference, seen by thousands of people on their way in and out of the event. The stand, attacking Labour for “nanny state” policies aimed at reducing smoking, is operated by We Vape, a group funded in part by US pro-tobacco pressure group Consumer Choice Center.
The US-based Consumer Choice Center have taken cash from Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco – the world’s biggest cigarette manufacturers. It is plastered with a series of ‘shocking’ mock health warnings, including “alcohol gives you liver cancer” and “vapes are addictive” – all of which are true. And it features a series of products including drinks and crisps mocked up in cigarette-style plain packaging – despite there being no plan to introduce plain packaging for either.
There was no branding or attribution to any group listed on the stall or on its literature.
Consumer Choice Center is a Washington DC-based lobbying group funded by the tobacco industry.
Since 2017 the group has lobbied against plain packaging for tobacco products and other regulation. In October they published a report claiming it was a “myth” that vaping can be a “gateway” to smoking tobacco.
Nigel Farage has railed against plain packaging for cigarettes, saying in 2014 that the policy was “utterly barmy.” He also said tax on cigarettes was too high, adding it was “bonkers” and encouraged smuggling.
Research commissioned by Cancer Research UK found the decline in sales of cigarettes had declined more quickly since the introduction of plain packaging in the UK in 2015.
Mark Oates, founder of We Vape, was funded by Consumer Choice Center to the tune of $300,000 in 2023, and a further $522,000 in 2024, via his own firm Oates Consulting. He is the sole director of We Vape and its only listed employee. Mr Oates said: “I am extremely grateful for the support provided by the Consumer Choice Centre in our mission to eradicate smoking.
“It is deeply worrying 56% of smokers still believe vaping is more harmful than smoking, when the Cochrane review recently found nicotine vapes were 60% more effective than traditional aids such as patches and gum in helping people quit.
“Concealing vapes in plain packaging and treating them like cigarettes restricts access to the very tool that will help make the UK smoke free. We need enforcement of current law to protect kids while ensuring access to vaping for smokers who face illness and premature death if they continue to consume cigarettes.”
The Consumer Choice Center, Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco were approached for comment.