"UK tobacco firms protest at Labour plan to tax them more to pay for NHS", 23 Sep 2014

Britain’s tobacco industry reacted with fury to the plan by the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, to tax British cigarette companies to pay for NHS spending, branding the move anti-business and unjust. Imperial Tobacco...said Labour plans to raise at least £150m by taxing companies according to market share amounted to an attack on a legitimate business sector. A spokesman for the company said: “The idea ... is totally unwarranted and unjust, and should be dismissed immediately....“The idea put forward today fails to acknowledge the wider contribution made by Imperial to society, and will place further pressure on jobs and livelihoods,” the spokesman said. “Earlier this year we announced the closure of our Nottingham cigarette factory, citing in part the impact of excessive tobacco regulation and taxation.”