The full power of Tory election strategist Lynton Crosby’s lobbying for the cigarette industry was exposed this weekend by junior Public Health Minister Jane Ellison.

She admitted that Downing Street, which is heavily influenced by Mr Crosby, had itself scotched moves to introduce plain fag packets by April.

“There comes a point as a minister where you get things ready, then you basically wait until you are allowed to talk about them,” she told a meeting of the Tory Reform Group.

Labour shadow public health minister Luciana Berger said: “In an extraordinary admission, we now know that the standardised packaging hold-up comes from Downing Street.

“This raises further questions over the influence of David Cameron’s chief political strategist and big tobacco lobbyist Lynton Crosby.”