Tory leadership hopeful Boris Johnson has vowed to halt the rollout of any more so-called “sin taxes” – which include levies on tobacco, alcohol and sugar – saying they “clobber those who can least afford it”.
In a bid to tackle obesity, last year the government introduced a levy on sugary drinks, charging shoppers up to 24p extra a litre depending on how much sugar had been added.
But Johnson, who is currently vying against Jeremy Hunt to become the next prime minister, said he would hit the pause button on any further sin taxes and would not raise current levies if he gets into Number 10.
Instead, he said he would launch a review into the effectiveness of such taxes and whether they unduly hit those on low incomes.
Johnson said: “The recent proposal for a tax on milkshakes seems to me to clobber those who can least afford it.”
“Rather than just taxing people more, we should look at how effective the so-called ‘sin taxes’ really are, and if they actually change behaviour,” he continued, saying people should instead be encouraged to do more exercise.
“Once we leave the EU on 31 October, we will have a historic opportunity to change the way politics is done in this country. A good way to start would be basing tax policy on clear evidence.”
However the proposal – which comes on the same day that Cancer Research UK warned that obesity now causes more cases of bowel, kidney, ovarian and liver cancers than smoking – has been criticised on both sides of the Commons.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the proposal was “extraordinary even by Boris Johnson’s standards”, accusing the Tory leadership hopeful of trying to “water down” the plan to tackle obesity.
“He has serious questions to answer about the role of corporate lobbyists for the soft drinks and tobacco industries in his campaign,” he said.
“Boris Johnson has shown that his priority is representing the interests of his wealthy supporters, with no concern for the health and wellbeing of the general public.”
Meanwhile, former health minister Steve Brine branded the move “transparent dog whistle politics”.
“As the public health minister who oversaw the introduction of the sugary drinks levy, I totally despair at this,” he tweeted.
“Transparent dog whistle politics dressed up as something thinking. It is the exact opposite.”
Johnson’s promise over sin levies is not the first tax pledge he has made during the leadership contest. The former mayor of London also vowed to cut taxes for three million high earners by raising the 40p threshold from £50,000 to £80,000.