London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK MPs are being insisted to stop getting freebies to sports and cultural events from tobacco, alcohol and junk food companies because their products generate so much illness and death.
Should UK MPs Refuse Gifts from Industries Linked to Public Health Crises?
More than 100 health companies are insisting Britain’s lawmakers reject offers of gifts and hospitality from “unhealthy products industries” because they employ an array of underhand tactics to conceal the harm they create to protect their sales.
How Do Gifts from Tobacco, Alcohol, and Junk Food Companies Influence UK Lawmakers?
The section of doctors’ groups, health charities and children’s organisations have questioned Keir Starmer to make good on his pledge to restore integrity to public life by restricting such firms from lobbying MPs by offering them gifts that could expose them to disputes of interest.
The prime minister this week made obvious that he is ready to take bold action to tackle Britain’s increasingly unhealthy population and help the NHS by ensuring that he may severely restrict people’s ability to smoke in outdoor areas such as outside pubs and restaurants, including pavements.
Are UK MPs Compromising Public Health by Accepting Perks from Controversial Industries?
Prof Sir Ian Gilmore, the head of the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), stated: “Alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy food are the three biggest killers in our society, with alcohol alone claiming 10,000 lives in 2022 – the most destructive on record. “MPs are expected to make judgments based on the best interests of their constituents, but we understand that lobbying tactics such as receiving gifts and advantages from these industries can lead to a conflict of interest and impartiality being compromised.”
The AHA, the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) and Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) have issued a new joint report that lays bare the “killer tactics” used by the three enterprises to gain influence over politicians and thwart moves to enhance public health by cracking down on smoking, drinking and bad diet.
They argue that tactics “to cultivate allies” include downplaying the damage their products cause, using legal threats to slow policies aimed at reducing that damage – such as plain packaging of cigarettes and minimum unit pricing of alcohol – misinterpreting scientific evidence, using front groups to put forward ideas helpful to them and giving MPs gifts, benefits and hospitality. “While in many cases MPs may perceive there to be little harm in accepting a ticket for a sporting event or passing on a concert ticket to a staff member, there is no such thing as a free lunch,” the report states.
“Businesses are expending money because they believe it will be in their economic interests. [But] it can give the impression of a conflict of interest for MPs amending and voting on legislation that will affect these businesses.” MPs have to report gifts worth over £300 to assist transparency.
The 100-plus groups behind the report include the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, health charities such as Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation and public health specialists such as the Faculty of Public Health.