Day 12
Boris Johnson is facing a backlash today after he declared war on 'sin taxes' - complaining that they 'clobber' the poorest families.
The Tory leadership frontrunner pledged to review the government's flagship sugar tax on fizzy drinks if he reaches No10, and insisted it will not be extended to milkshakes.
He also vowed to freeze new taxes on foods which are high in salt, fat or sugar – and argued those who want to lose weight should just exercise more.
The policy would amount to a major reversal of government efforts to combat obesity.
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The announcement - which came as charities warned obesity is now a bigger cause of many cancers than smoking - sparked an immediate backlash from health campaigners who accused Mr Johnson of 'turning back the clock'.
The Royal Society for Public Health argued you 'cannot outrun a bad diet' and said it was wrong to put the onus on individuals to change their habits.
Others pointed out that Mr Johnson had himself introduced a sugar tax in City Hall when he was Mayor of London.
Boris Johnson has promised to review the government's flagship sugar tax on fizzy drinks if he reaches No10, and insisted it will not be extended to milkshakes +2
Boris Johnson has promised to review the government's flagship sugar tax on fizzy drinks if he reaches No10, and insisted it will not be extended to milkshakes
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In one of his most significant policy announcements to date, Mr Johnson questioned whether there is clear evidence that 'sin stealth taxes' work.
'The recent proposal for a tax on milkshakes seems to me to clobber those who can least afford it,' he said.
'If we want people to lose weight and live healthier lifestyles, we should encourage people to walk, cycle and generally do more exercise.'
A levy on soft drinks was introduced in April 2018 in an attempt to cut the amount of sugar they contain.
Boris imposed 'sugar tax' in CIty Hall as Mayor of London
Boris Johnson imposed a 'sugar tax' on drinks at City Hall when he was mayor of London.
The Tory leadership front runner put a 10p charge on all added-sugar drinks sold in the building in 2016.
The proceeds went to health campaigns.
Mr Johnson said at the time that tackling obesity was 'one of the biggest' health challenges for politicians.
'I hope this initiative will allow us to raise awareness of the problem and encourage people to think about their diets,' he said.
Aides said Mr Johnson's policy will not apply to other sin taxes such as those on cigarettes and alcohol.
Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell stressed the significance of the taxes and praised their success in lowering smoking rates and removing sugar from diets.
'Taxes on less healthy products do have a positive effect,' she said.
'They have been highly effective in bringing down smoking rates to record lows, including within deprived communities, and the Treasury's own analysis showed the tax on sugary drinks took 90 million kg of sugar out of the nation's diet on day one.
'Physical activity is one way to lose weight but the Government also has a big role to play if we are to significantly reduce obesity levels.'
The Obesity Health Alliance's Caroline Cerny said voluntary programmes for the food industry to cut sugar 'have not had the same success' as the tax.
'The levy is supported by the public and welcomed by a wide range of health experts and is vitally needed as part of a package of measures to help create a healthier environment for everyone,' she said.
Allies of Jeremy Hunt said the policy exposed divisions in Mr Johnson's camp.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock – a backer of Mr Johnson – recently signed off extending the sugar tax to milkshakes, and a ban on sales of energy drinks to children.
Mr Hunt's side said this showed Mr Johnson's 'own team are profoundly against' his policies.
The move was hailed by low-tax activists, however.
Daniel Pryor of the Adam Smith Institute said: 'It's about time someone stood up against the killjoys who want to ban Tony the Tiger and force you to pay more for your sugary drinks.'
But the Royal Society for Public Health argued you ‘cannot outrun a bad diet’ and said it was wrong to put the onus on individuals to change their habits (file photo) +2
But the Royal Society for Public Health argued you 'cannot outrun a bad diet' and said it was wrong to put the onus on individuals to change their habits (file photo)
What is the sugar tax and has it been working?
From April 2018, soft drinks companies have been required to pay a levy on drinks with added sugar.
If a drink contains between 5g and 8g of sugar per 100ml the tax is 18p per litre, whereas if a drink has more than 8g of sugar per 100ml, the tax is 24p.
Fruit juices and milk are not included in the tax.
The move aims to help tackle childhood obesity. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are now the single biggest source of dietary sugar for children and teenagers.
Some drinks, including Fanta, Lucozade, Sprite, Dr Pepper and Vimto, had their recipes changed so they contained less than 5g of sugar and the price did not need to be put up.
However, others like Coca Cola and Pepsi refused to reduce the amount of sugar and, as a result, the price of them increased.
The Government has predicted the levy will raise £240million a year, which will be spent on sports clubs and breakfast clubs in schools.
The sugar tax raised £153.8million in the first six months after it was introduced, between April and October 2018
Johnson the lunatic in full flow now ffs,just when report comes out todat saig obesity causes more cancers than smoking and matt hancock was going to introduce a sugar tax on milk shakes,this an is insane...