Keir Starmer slammed by James May as he makes smoking ban demand: 'Ridiculous'

Grand Tour presenter James May has slammed Keir Starmer and Labour's latest plan to ban smoking from public places such as pub gardens.

In a move that has sparked huge public backlash, Starmer announced his plan to make outdoor smoking illegal, referring to the number of people who are killed by the side-effects of smoking every year.

His move hasn't gone down well, and talking to Times Radio, James May has also made his thoughts on Starmer's rogue idea clear.

Speaking to Alexis Conran, he said: "I think that’s ridiculous meddling really. I can’t imagine it’s of any benefit to humankind, really, to say people can’t smoke outside in the pub garden. I think governments on the whole should leave pubs alone.

"They’re having a hard enough time as it is. If a few people like the chef, or a few customers want to go out the back to have a crafty fag then I’m very happy with that idea."

James also spoke about being being banned from Jeremy Clarkson’s new pub, which was opened last month in Burford, Oxfordshire.

Speaking about the brutal snub: "I only found that out the other day but it’s a little bit like being banned from the golf club. I wasn’t going to go there anywhere, so it’s not really relevant".

James isn't the only one banned from the pub, as Keir Starmer is also not allowed on the premises, according to Clarkson.

He said: "He’s banned. He’s the first person on the board in the hall to be banned. He hasn’t done much to endear himself to me yet."

Clarkson has also slammed Starmer's smoking ban, writing about his opinion on his latest Sun column. "Sir Starmer doesn’t like smoking so he’s going to ban it,” Clarkson wrote, as he added: “and then, to make this Stalinist decree sound reasonable, he says the illnesses smoking causes cost the NHS a huge amount of money every year.”

“If he does that, most of the rich will bugger off. So instead of getting 45 per cent of their earnings, he’ll get nothing."