RISHI Sunak's plan to ban anyone born after 2009 from buying cigarettes has not been greeted by everyone, but surely it should be welcomed.

Smoking is a killer. I should know because I was once a ten-a-day man (more if I was socialising), and I found it hard to give up.

But when I eventually did, I felt the benefits, particularly with fitness and breathing when playing football. I was shocked to learn that a packet of 20 cigarettes costs about £14 today. That's a lot of money.

A ban on anyone born after 2009 from buying cigarettes must be good because it will, hopefully, prevent youngsters from smoking.

If you don't start smoking you don't have to go through what can be agony in giving them up. And think of how much the NHS will save. It has enough problems of its own without dealing with health issues which are almost entirely self inflicted. Why should the NHS spend billions of pounds on treating patients who have smoked all their lives and now have breathing problems?

SPRING is usually the time of the year when many people consider buying a property - either looking for a bigger property or downsizing. I've noticed a few more 'sold' signs recently but we're now told some mortgage lenders are considering putting up their rates.

Now, if I remember rightly, didn't Andrew Bailey, the Governor of the Bank of England, predict interest rates falling this year as inflation continues to drop.

You would assume that if this was the case, mortgages would become less expensive. Buying a house is always a good investment in the long term, but when to buy and when to sell, is important. You need to marry the two as best you can.

There's no doubt that house prices have dropped since those heady days when property would be sold the day it came on the market. I don't think we'll ever see the likes of that again. It was a dream period for estate agents.

However, they've found the market a lot tougher with the buyer holding the cards because there is so much property for sale around. Some of this locally has been brought about by the new housing estates which have sprung up.

If you want a four-bedroom house these days, there's plenty to choose from.

WHETHER you voted Brexit or not, there's no doubt youngsters would have voted to remain if they had been able to vote.

They see Europe as a place to study and travel. They can still do this, but it's not easy. Those of the older generation have a lot to answer for. They were the ones who swung the vote in favour of leaving the EU.

We also know that if there was a referendum today the voting would favour Remain. Of course it's too late now. We're still unravelling the shackles of the EU - some say it will take another decade. And we're still paying into the EU.

This Government will lose the next election because it has been awful. Unfortunately, a Labour Party which lacks policies and spends most of its time criticising will be voted in. What a choice we have. A dis-united Tory Government or a Labour Government which will send us more into debt than what we are now.

The National Debt is currently running at about £2,65 trillion. Which means we are paying out billions a year in interest alone before we even start to tackle the debt.

And if you think it doesn't affect you, it does. That's why public services are being cut. We're running out of money. . .but hey-ho, who cares?