The 'bonkers' ban of Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF) deals in supermarkets due to come into force in the Autumn may be scrapped to help families in the cost of living crisis.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come under fire from some of his backbenchers over the proposed law to axe the offers on unhealthy food and drinks due to kick in in October after it was delayed last year to help households facing the financial squeeze.
The rule change is part of the Government’s anti-obesity drive, and affects shops with 50 or more employees. The Government previously delayed the introduction planned for last October but went ahead with a ban on so-called HFSS (high in fat, salt and sugar) promotions in prominent store locations. However, some supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco have already stopped BOGOF deals.
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Mr Sunak told the House of Commons that “no final decision” had been taken over whether the ban would come in as planned after pressure has been growing from some MPs, who claim the policy is “nanny state”. MP Philip Davies said it was “bonkers” to bring the policy in at a time the country was still struggling with its worst cost of living crisis in decades and described the idea as a “socialist landmine” that had been inherited from Boris Johnson.
“After I took office, given the concerns he and others had raised about the impact on the cost of living, we already have, as he knows, postponed the introduction of this policy,” Mr Sunak said. “No final decisions have been made, but I will continue to take what he says very seriously in all our deliberations.”
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Opponents to the ban pointed to the Department for Health’s own figures, which show banning the promotional deals will reduce daily intake by the equivalent of a single grape but would mean households households lose savings of around £634a year.
Head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economics Affairs, Christopher Snowdon told The Grocer: ““Repealing this policy at a time when food inflation is at nearly 20% has to be the biggest no-brainer in British politics today.”
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