Campaigners call for tobacco windfall tax and yearly surcharges on ‘lethal trade’

Rachel Reeves urged to levy double whammy' on firms' 1bn annual profits to fund measures to end smoking

Doctors and health charities have urged Rachel Reeves to hit tobacco firms with a financial double whammy, including a windfall tax in the budget, to help fund Labour's drive to eradicate smoking.

They are suggesting a one-off 74m surcharge and a new 700m-a-year permanent levy on the industry's obscene" profits from selling its lethal products.