Welcome to the Sky News Daily. I'm Neil Patterson and I'd like to start with a personal apology.

My mum is a regular listener to the podcast and sorry, mother dearest. There's going to be a bit of

content ahead that you will not like. I have been a smoker. Never the most devoted nor committed

and there have certainly been long periods

where I've gone without, but as my mum knows and hates, there have also been times when I've

puffed like Thomas the tank engine, but I, myself, am now a parent, and the thought of my wee man,

ever taking up smoking, fills me with the dread that I'm sure consumed my mummy and daddy.

So that's why my ears, and those of many others, pricked up at this section in Rishi Sunak's speech to his party conference in Manchester.

Now, if we could break that cycle, if we could stop the start, then we would be on our way to ending

the biggest cause of preventable death and disease in our country.

So I propose that in future, we raise the smoking age by one year every year.

That means a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette

and that they and their generation can grow up smoke-free.

The theme of the Conservative Conference was long-term decisions for a brighter future,

and arguably this falls very much into that category. But doesn't it put the PM at odds

with some of his more

libertarian colleagues? Are outright bans anything other than an admission that whatever

strategy you've previously deployed just isn't working? Later, I'll be speaking to one former health

minister, also the leader of the most prominent UK anti-smoking charity. But first, our

deputy political editor Sam Coates, who of course was with me the past few days up in Manchester.

Sam, let's talk about this staggered smoking ban. We talked about this at conference. And do you

know what? It is a pretty bold idea sir humphrey and

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