Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This was the chance for a real show of strength, courage and confidence but instead the Government has capitulated in the face of industry pressure. Critical legislation that will help stop young people getting hooked on a lethal habit has now been left hanging in the balance. The longer we have to wait for it, the more harm cigarettes will do to the next generation."
The Shadow Public Health Minister, Diane Abbott, responding to the Government's decision to back down on introducing plain packaging for cigarettes, said: "The Tories used to say there were in favour of this policy, that children should be protected. But now, not long after employing Lynton Crosby, a strategist linked to lobbying in the tobacco industry, David Cameron is backing down. People will rightly wonder if the Government is breaking its promise, despite the medical evidence and the wishes of British families, in order to please its friends in big business. David Cameron needs to explain why he's doing it, when he decided, whether Lynton Crosby had any input into the decision, and whether he was aware of Lynton Crosby's alleged business interests when he appointed him."
