Soft drinks industry lobbies against sugar tax
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- Published: Tuesday, 13 December 2016 07:45
- Written by News Editor
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The Website PoliticsHome reports that the soft drinks industry has increased its lobbying of the Government as it tries to get the sugar tax watered down. Soft drinks lobbyists have been holding drinks receptions and have increased the number of supportive adverts on political websites.
Concerns from health campaigners have been raised after both Theresa May and the Chancellor Philip Hammond failed to speak out in favour of the tax after taking office. There are also fears the sugar tax will be frowned upon by Number 10 as it was introduced by George Osborne.
It is reported that at a drinks party at the Tory conference sponsored by the industry, a spokesman for the British Soft Drinks Association pleaded with Greg Clark, the business secretary, and MPs on the Conservative Reform Group to drop support for the levy. He claimed it would harm small businesses and cause job losses at a difficult time for the economy.
In an introductory speech at the midnight reception in Birmingham, he said: “Anybody who believes this will have a marked effect on obesity needs to challenge that perception ... We in the soft drinks industry are ahead of the game so it seems slightly odd we were the only product category singled out for the tax. I’d like to welcome the business secretary here this evening and wish him well in his role. We want to work with government to help tackle obesity, but we believe that can be done without detriment to our industry or others, or the many small businesses we support.”
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