Inside the £2 billion black market threatening Britain’s high streets

Illegal tobacco is estimated to cost the UK around £2 billion a year in lost tax revenue, while undercutting legitimate retailers and providing a lucrative market for organised crime.Sarah Connor, UK director of communications at JTI, Rohan Pike, an international illicit trade expert and former police officer, and Andrew Boff, Conservative chair of the London Assembly, join The Spectator’s economics editor Michael Simmons to discuss how illegal tobacco is affecting Britain’s high streets. They examine whether rising tobacco duties and new regulations are pushing consumers towards the black market; what Britain can learn from Australia, where the legal tobacco market has been ‘given up’ to criminals; and whether stronger enforcement, higher fines and better support for trading standards can protect honest shopkeepers.This podcast is sponsored by JTI, with editorial control retained by The Spectator. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.