Labour has scrapped ambitious plans to tackle Britain\u2019s growing toll of lifestyle-related illness after lobbying by food and alcohol firms, health experts have said.<\/p>\n
Ministerial inaction on ill-health caused by bad diet, alcohol and smoking is so serious that the NHS<\/a> could collapse as a result of conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, they warn.<\/p>\n Bold pledges Labour made before being elected to drive through a \u201cprevention-first revolution\u201d<\/a> have been replaced by \u201cdiluted ambition\u201d and a lack of leadership on the scourge of avoidable disease.<\/p>\n The charge against ministers has been made by Sarah Woolnough and Jennifer Dixon<\/a>, the chief executives of the influential King\u2019s Fund and Health Foundation thinktanks.<\/p>\n They welcome Labour moves on reducing smoking, banning junk food advertising to children<\/a> and outlawing energy drink sales to under-16s in England<\/a>. But they accuse ministers of lacking the \u201cpolitical courage\u201d to implement radical policies to reduce the huge harm linked to unhealthy food, alcohol and air pollution.<\/p>\n They have said Labour are repeating the mistakes of previous governments by letting \u201cvested interests\u201d wield too much influence and water down planned policies.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a long history of lobbying from the food, alcohol and tobacco industries weakening and delaying measures that would improve people\u2019s health.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd once again long-promised restrictions on junk food advertising have been delayed while Labour\u2019s proposals to extend smoking restrictions to outdoor areas of pubs and restaurants were squashed,\u201d Woolnough and Dixon say in a joint blog.<\/p>\n \u201cMinimum unit pricing for alcohol \u2013 successfully implemented in Scotland<\/a> \u2013 and a Clean Air Act, regularly promised by Labour in opposition, have both failed to materialise.\u201d<\/p>\n Woolnough and Dixon single out the health secretary Wes Streeting\u2019s threat<\/a> to food firms in February 2024 that he would use a \u201csteamroller\u201d to force them to reformulate their products by putting less fat, salt and sugar in them. He has not acted on that pledge while in office, though, and instead published weaker plans intended to promote the take-up of more nutritious food.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, this steamroller appears to have been parked,\u201d Woolnough and Dixon add \u2013 a decision they suggest is a mistake given strong public support for government action on poor diet.<\/p>\n