Boris Johnson accused of ‘playing politics’ with kid’s health as ban on BOGOF junk food deals delayed

Barbara Crowther, of the Children's Food Campaign, said ministers should be moving faster on multi-buy deals instead of "delaying and dithering".

She said: "Obesity is spiking and millions of families can't afford to put proper food on the table. Multi-buy offers make people spend more on junk, and less on healthy food.

"This delay threatens the UK target to halve childhood obesity by 2030. Boris is playing politics with our children's health."

Professor Graham MacGregor, a cardiologist at Queen Mary University of London and chairman of Action on Sugar, said the delays contradicted the government's "levelling up" agenda.

He said: "Boris Johnson could have left a legacy of being the first prime minister to address obesity in a meaningful way, particularly in restricting advertising and promotion of unhealthy food which were his flagship policies.

"Instead, he has given in to his own MPs, and an aggressive food industry, who, ironically, were starting to comply with these new policies."

Despite the delays, public health minister Maggie Throup has insisted the government remains dedicated to tackling childhood obesity in the UK.

She said: "Pausing restrictions on deals like 'buy one get one free' will allow us to understand its impact on consumers in light of an unprecedented global economic situation."