SMOKING wars engulfed the Tories yesterday as the party split over Rishi Sunak’s plan to phase out the habit.

Top Conservatives including former premier Liz Truss came out against the proposal to phase out smoking by increasing the age at which it is legal to buy tobacco each year.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told MPs that the policy, which the Prime Minister regards as central to his legacy, would end up saving 80,000 lives each year.

But it was rumoured that Mr Sunak would be opposed by senior Cabinet members, having allowed a free vote on the issue.

Penny Mordaunt and Kemi Badenoch were among the anticipated rebels — both have their eyes on succeeding the floundering premier and thus are courting the right-wing Tory base which dislikes the proposal.

However, with Labour supporting the law, Mr Sunak was likely to prevail.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told MPs that Ms Truss was right to call the law “unconservative.”

He said: “This is absolutely an unconservative Bill. It is a Labour Bill and we’re delighted to see the government bring it forward.”

Labour would back the legislation “so that young people today are even less likely to smoke than they are to vote for the Conservatives,” he added.