London: Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has hailed Britain's move to follow Australia's pioneering move to stare down the "merchants of death" and force tobacco companies to sell their products in ugly plain packages.

The United Kingdom officially joined Australia in introducing plain packaging on Friday, local time in a move that ended a week of major setbacks for Big Tobacco following legal losses in The Hague and the UK's High Court.

"They wouldn't have launched their case if they thought our measures would be ineffective": Kevin Rudd. Credit:Fairfax Media

France and Ireland have also agreed to introduce plain packaging laws.

Mr Rudd's Labor government became the first country to legislate plain packaging in December 2012.