Labour’s latest junk food ad ban has sparked outrage on GB News as the government has moved to include “porridge and crumpets” among the banned foods.
In a bid to curb childhood obesity, junk food ads on television will only be allowed past the 9pm watershed from October 2025.
However, in the latest guidance on the ban, government revealed that ads for ready meals, pasta, granola, cereals, fizzy soft drinks, ice cream and pizza will be prohibited from daytime advertising, both on TV and online.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting claimed that the latest ban is the “first step to deliver a major shift in the focus of healthcare” towards “meeting our government’s ambition to give every child a healthy, happy start to life”.
Reem Ibrahim and Suzy Stride butted heads over Labour’s junk food ad ban legislation
GB News
Hitting out at the extensive ban, commentator Reem Ibrahim scolded Labour for implementing “nanny state” legislation with one of the “most disgusting policies” they have come out with.
Ibrahim fumed: “This is punitive, authoritarian and I think one of the most disgusting policies the government has come out with over the last few months.
“We will now be the only country in the world where sponge pudding, croissants and yogurt are deemed too dangerous to advertise online or advertise to children. This is disgraceful.”
She added: “A lot of these nanny state measures are not there to protect public health – public health is not even in the question – it’s just used as a way to continuously intervene in people’s lives.”
Adverts for porridge and crumpets will now be banned as part of the new legislation
Getty
In disagreement with Ibrahim, commentator Suzy Stride argued that if there wasn’t a “massive obesity crisis” in Britain, she would agree with critics.
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Stride explained: “£176 billion, that is how much it is costing us. This is absolutely the right measure. We need to have dramatic intervention here.
“And when we say porridge, it’s sweetened porridge – it’s in the details of it.”
Standing firm on her argument, Ibrahim questioned why Britons should be “footing the bill” for those who are not taking “personal responsibility” for what they eat, raging: “I think it’s absolutely absurd. Why should I be footing the bill for fat people who choose to eat?
“Don’t make me restrict my own freedoms because other people make bad choices.”
The GB News panel debated the new legislation on junk food ads
GB News
Weighing in on the debate, GB News star Isabel Webster argued that the obesity crisis is “costing us” with an increased need for “extra large hospital beds” and “extra large aeroplane seats”.
She added: “It’s costing all of us to prop up that up. We have the large aeroplane seats, we have these extra large hospital beds because there’s so many morbidly obese people.”
Nana Akua hit back at Isabel’s remarks, stating: “But listen, no one’s shoving the food into these people’s mouths, they are eating it themselves.
“They’ve ruined normal fizzy drinks by putting in all these different sweeteners that actually may well have neurological implications, and I don’t see why I should be punished to drink that ‘awfulness’ for people who just can’t handle themselves.”
