The smoking ban has done more damage to working class communities than pit closures, a Ukip MEP has claimed.
Tim Aker, who represents South East England in the European Parliament, launched a scathing attack on the Labour party for failing to stand up for working class people.
He was speaking at a fringe event at Ukip's conference in Doncaster titled "Who stands up for the working class?"
He singled out the ban on smoking - introduced by Tony Blair in 2007 - as "one of the most damaging things the Labour party has done," saying it stopped people from having "a place to meet".
The smoking ban was introduced in July 2007 and became one of Tony Blair's more successful legacies
"When they don't have a place to socialise they retreat," Mr Aker told Ukip activists. He accused Labour of "ignoring the facts" by blaming pit closures for destroying working class communities.
Smoking is banned in all enclosed public places in Britain, including bars, restaurants and pubs.
One of Ukip's policies at the general election was a pledge to amend the ban to give pubs and clubs the power to open smoking rooms. It was one of a number of policies to "save Britain's pubs".
Mr Aker said: "The Labour party as people perceive it doesn’t exist any more. It ceased being a Labour party when it ceased actually representing people, and started lecturing working people.
"You’ve only got to look at one of the most damaging things the Labour party has done.
"They say all the time, despite ignoring the facts, that it was the pit closures which destroyed working class communities. I would put it to you that the smoking ban has destroyed more communities than any pit closure has done.
"Because when people don’t have a place to meet, when they don’t have a place to socialise they retreat in."
However Labour dismissed his remarks, claiming Ukip had nothing to say for working class people. Labour MP Kevin Barron said: “These outrageous comments show just how out of touch UKIP are with working people.
"Nigel Farage and his Party have absolutely nothing to offer working families and communities across the country.”
During the election campaign one of Ukip's candidates went against party policy to call for the smoking ban to go even further, saying it should be extended to public parks.
Professor Angus Dalgleish, a cancer expert who was standing for Ukip in Cheam and Sutton, accepted that his stance sounded "paradoxical" to his party's policy but said the smoking ban should be applied to public parks to protect children.
