Government food strategy little more than a “new slogan”, McMahon says

Jim McMahon has declared that the government food strategy is little more than a “new slogan” and does “nothing” to tackle the growing crisis in the food industry.

The government’s long-awaited food strategy, published today, was first announced in 2019. Co-founder of the Leon restaurant chain Henry Dimbleby led the review into England’s food industry with the ambition of ensuring it is “safe, healthy and affordable” for all.

The Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary said: “A food strategy is of vital importance, but after over a year of promises, the government has failed to deliver much more than a new slogan.

“The government themselves say the food industry is bigger than the automotive and aerospace industries combined, yet all they have done is re-announce existing funding. Just days after Britain’s biggest fertiliser producer announced the closure of one of its plants, there is nothing in here to tackle this growing crisis.

“This is nothing more than a statement of vague intentions, not a concrete proposal to tackle the major issues facing our country. To call it a food strategy is bordering on the preposterous. Yet again this tired, out-of-ideas Conservative government is failing to show the ambition our country needs.”

Commenting on a leaked draft of the government’s plan ahead of publication, Dimbleby said: “It’s not a strategy. It doesn’t set out a clear vision as to why we have the problems we have now, and it doesn’t set out what needs to be done.”

He stressed that “there was nothing really there on health” in the document. The final version of the strategy left out a number of Dimbleby’s proposals including the introduction of a tax on sugar and salt.

Dimbleby told the BBC that the government had implemented “more than 50%” of his recommendations, but added that it “hasn’t been done with one vision across the whole system”.

Speaking to LBC radio today, Boris Johnson said: “I’m very grateful to Henry for all the work he has done. This is about helping to support UK food and farming at a particularly important time.”

On the use of taxes to tackle obesity, the Prime Minister said: “What we don’t want to do right now is start whacking new taxes on them that will just push up the cost of food.” He added: “The best way to lose weight, believe me, is to eat less.”

The stated objectives of the food strategy include delivering a “prosperous agri-food and seafood sector that ensures a secure food supply” and achieving a “sustainable, nature-positive, affordable food system that provides choice and access to high-quality products”.

The government also aims to encourage trade that “provides export opportunities and consumer choice through imports” while not compromising on regulatory standards for food.

Commenting on the leaked draft, National Farmers Union president Minette Batters said Dimbleby’s proposals to help farmers increase food production had been “stripped to the bare bones”.

She told The Observer: “We want to be eating more British and more local food, but again I just ask how,” adding: “It’s all very well to have words, but it’s got to have really meaningful delivery and we aren’t seeing that yet in this document.”