Scheme will subsidise junk food, say campaigners

THE Treasury last night insisted it would not “moralise” or “discriminate” after anti-obesity campaigners claimed Rishi Sunak’s restaurant discount scheme would subsidise junk food.

Allies of the Chancellor last night defended his decision not to exclude fast food outlets from his “eat out to help out” campaign, which will see an estimated £500 million in taxpayers’ money used to reduce the cost of meals in restaurants, cafés and pubs.

The temporary scheme which excludes takeaways but has no limits on the type of venue eligible and can be used “unlimited times”, was denounced as a “green light to promote junk food” by some health figures.

While critics believe the policy is at odds with Boris Johnson’s plans to launch an obesity strategy this summer, sources close to Mr Sunak said exempting parts of the hospitality sector would unfairly punish their employees. “We are not going to moralise or discriminate against people who work in certain types of restaurants. This is about protecting jobs,” one said.

The scheme comes as Mr Johnson and his advisers consider a series of proposals to combat obesity, thought to include an end to “buy one, get one free [Bogof ] deals” on unhealthy fare.

The Prime Minister’s drive to tackle obesity is thought to have been prompted after he reportedly cited his own waistline as one of the factors that may have contributed to him becoming seriously ill with Covid-19.

Proposals under consideration by Downing Street include curbs on price promotions, junk food advertising during family television viewing, and expanded weight loss programmes.

However, campaigners said the new deal for restaurants was tantamount to a state-sponsored Bogof deal. They urged Mr Sunak to exclude unhealthy fare from the promotion, which offers half-price dine-in deals, to a maximum discount of £10 per head, on Mondays to Wednesdays during August.

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum said: “This looks like the mother and father of Bogofs and a green light to promote any old junk menu that the restaurant feels it can get away with.

“With obesity rates ever increasing and firmly linked to Covid-19, who wants more of the same? Given a little thought [this] scheme to put bums on seats could have been a great idea to educate people into eating better but to introduce it at such a short notice is a massively wasted opportunity,” he said.

Hours before the Treasury announcement, England’s deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jenny Harries, urged Britons to slim down to protect themselves from coronavirus.

Last night, Alasdair Murdoch, the chief executive of Burger King UK, said the company hoped to offer half-price Whopper burgers under the scheme.

‘It is the mother and father of discount offers and a licence to promote any old junk menu that the restaurant can get away with’