Sunak faces backlash over delay to junk food pre-watershed ads ban

Tom Ambrose
·3 min read
<span>Photograph: Kevin Britland/Alamy</span>
Photograph: Kevin Britland/Alamy

Rishi Sunak faces a furious backlash from health experts after his government yet again delayed plans for a ban on pre-watershed TV advertising for junk food.

A ban on adverts for foods high in fat, salt and sugar before 9pm was due to come into force from January 2023, as well as a ban on “buy one get one free” deals on junk food. However, in May, it was delayed for a year by the then prime minister Boris Johnson.

The policy’s implementation has now been delayed further until 2025, by which time a new parliament is likely to be sitting following the next general election. Recent opinion polls suggest the Conservatives are set for a heavy defeat.

With low income households most likely to be negatively affected amid the cost of living crisis, the latest delay has infuriated healthy food campaigners and industry experts, who are calling on Sunak to at least stick to Johnson’s 2024 target.

“Delaying junk food advertising restrictions is a shocking move by the government, with no valid justification to do so, other than giving a flimsy excuse that businesses need more time to prepare and reformulate,” said Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance.

“This is the action of a government that seems to care more about its own short-term political health than the longer-term health of children.”

Cases of type 2 diabetes in children and young adults have risen faster in Britain than anywhere else in the world, according to a study published by the BMJ on Wednesday.

It represents a near four-fold increase in younger people being diagnosed with the condition since 1990, which Diabetes UK says is in part due to deprived families being “pushed towards unhealthy options”.

The charity’s chief executive Chris Askew said the delay to 2025 is “shameful” and “disgraceful”, adding: “Delaying action will disproportionately impact the lowest income households, who have less access to healthy food and are targeted by a greater amount of advertising of unhealthy food.

“The government’s shameful decision to delay these vital measures means that people living in the most deprived areas will continue to be pushed towards unhealthy options, further entrenching the health inequalities that exist in rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity in England.”

Following a public consultation, the government said the new rules would apply to TV and on-demand programmes, as well as restrictions on paid-for advertising of unhealthy foods online.

Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London and chairman of both Action on Sugar and Action on Salt, said: “This news is hugely disappointing and goes against all the overwhelming evidence and public support in favour of it.

“The only people to benefit from this baseless delay are the multinational food companies who are used to making huge profits from their unhealthy products and do not have a vested interest in the nation’s health.”

More than £600m is spent by brands on food advertising online and on TV annually. The ban on TV adverts for foods high in fat, salt and sugar before 9pm could cost broadcasters, such as ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky, more than £200m a year in revenue.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) told the Guardian that the government was still committed to the ban and would provide an update “in due course”.

“The government takes tackling obesity seriously,” they added. “Having a fit and healthy population is essential for a thriving economy and we remain committed to helping people live healthier lives.”

Meanwhile, restrictions on junk food displays in shops came into force on 1 October. It is thought the government is still maintaining an October 2023 target for banning junk food “buy one, get one free” offers.

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