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For me, someone who has struggled with stress eating (often with junk food), the price increases with the junk food items alongside less and less multi buy promotions for them have been encouraging me to eat better, make my own food etc.
I am not blaming the availability of these unhealthy items as the biggest issue, and I acknowledge it's an internal situation more than anything, yet these initiatives have been a welcomed push to get me in the right direction.
It's just a good influence.
Can't they just make healthy food cheaper
When was the last time a supermarket even offerd buy one get one free? The bastards just use offers to distract from rising prices.
No fizzy pop meal deals, no porn, digital ID and you can't even burn a migrant hotel any more.
We used to be a proper country.
This think of the children phase the government has got going in is just making everything more shit.. Don’t ruin everything just because some people can’t control themselves.
10% of the NHS's budget goes towards treating diabetes. That's a huge amount of money. It's not just a problem for sufferers - its everyone elses problem too.
In my view*, government has two main jobs: promoting our happiness, and curbing our excesses. This is firmly within those remits, albeit trading short term for long term happiness.
You probably wouldn't say firearms/crack cocaine/embezzling shouldn't be illegal just because some people can't control themselves, I hope? This is much like that - it just seems harmless because you're used to it being there.
People can still buy crisps and pizza. They just won't get a discount on over-indulging anymore
*actually, Bertrand Russell's view.
It’s cute you think this will tackle obesity and diabetes. People will eat the same amount it’ll just cost everybody more money. Smoking/drinking related illness probably costs the NHS more why not just put more restrictions on that too while they’re at it.
They do put restrictions on smoking and drinking - they outlawed deals on those years ago. Tobacco is about 50x the price it costs to manufacture because of taxes, and guess what? There's millions fewer smokers now than there were in the 1900's! People who don't drink, or who drink much more rarely, are a much higher number than they used to be too.
Personally though, I do think tobacco should be completely illegal. Maybe nicotine products too, though they do help people with ADD self-regulate
EDIT You are right that the costs of alcohol to the NHS is still pretty huge though - about £5bn a year and 10,000 deaths, not to speak of all the other costs. Some good stats here: https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/27-4-billion-cost-of-alcohol-harm-in-england-every-year/
Healthy people cost the NHS a lot more when they live to 90+, I can say for sure when my 97 year old nan died she used up a LOT of resources that last 20 or 30 years.
I just don't find the NHS costs argument convincing.
Good point, there.
I think they are sabotaging themselves to hand it all back to the tories…
Ain’t no sane government gonna put a ban on porn
The way everything is going it’ll be reform not tories and then we’re fucked
FFS the problem is the price disparity between standard prices and "loyalty card" prices. It's anti-competitive.
How is that not obvious to politicians?
You can have loyalty cards from as many shops as you want, so it's not inherently anti-competitive. They're not even particularly meant to encourage loyalty, they're a way to track what individuals buy over multiple trips and then deliver targeted advertising. The non-loyalty-card prices are high to ensure that customers are incentivised to sign away their data.
Well, they used to encourage loyalty because it was feasible to collects points and convert them into tangible things (e.g. My parents used to get trips to theme parks etc). Points are almost worthless now so there's no incentive to stick with one shop. I end up going to 3 or 4 different shops to get what I need due to price.
Which shop does that other than Tesco?
I've not been in a Waitrose or a Sainsburys in a few years but I've not seen that problem in Morrisons, Co-op, Lidl, or Aldi.
Serious question because Tesco take the piss.
Sainsburys does it now, as do Morrisons I think. They don't do it for all their offers but some offers require a loyalty card.
co op has members prices for sure https://www.coop.co.uk/products/deals/member-prices
Huh, today I learned. I only tend to pop in for specific items but I'm still surprised I didn't notice.
I am crazy but I haven’t seen a bogof in years?
Is this not a good change or am i missing something?
It's a good change. What would be even better is promoting 2 for 1 deals on fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, pulses and grains. Arguably meat too, though with the environmental impact of the industry that's harder to justify
So if I want one lettuce which only has a short shelf life, but there is a buy one get one free deal, I'd be stupid not to pick up two. Because I can only eat one lettuce before it goes bad, the second lettuce will be binned before its even started. All buy one get one free deals should be banned - if you want us to buy more of a product, halve the price!
You would be stupid to pick up two if you knew you were going to throw one away. Food waste is not a good thing.
But - as odd as this might seem - you could offer the second lettuce to someone else. Either someone else leaving the store, a friend/neighbor or work colleague. Yes I know it's unusual to stand up in the office and say "does anyone want a free lettuce?" but it's not only harmless, its positive!
Fwiw, lettuces will stay fresher longer by wrapping in a paper towel and then foil, rather than plastic.
Shit getting more expensive, yeah fantastic.
People who are capable of controlling their eating habits are being penalised. Just like every adult is being penalised for poor parenting in regards to online safety
That always bugged me. How about half-price?
Always about moving quantity. People may grab just one unit at 50% off vs every purchase is required to buy two units minimum.
If only, nowadays at most i see something like: buy 3 get 1 for free (only cheapest option is free, *conditions apply).
More nanny state shite, so glad I can say I did not vote for this Tory wanker.
It is so frustrating to see Labour being compared to Tories. Frankly it just shows when someone hasn't been looking at the news.
That's just off the top of my head.
Not agreeing with XYX Labour action is fine. You will never ever have a government you universally agree with. But to look at the current lot and say they're the same as the Tories is simply uninformed.
I can't believe Reform have been having such an easy time pushing such a blatantly false narrative.
nationalising trains
Sorry, but no, they haven't. Some franchies expired and returned to state ownership, which was a Tory policy and several TOC's reverted under them.
sort of) nationalising steel
No they haven't.
nationalising a part of our energy sector
Again, no they haven't, GB Energy whatever the fuck it actually is, is not nationalising energy.
If they had actually done those things, then yes they might be in the win column.
bringing the NHS back under direct public control
Total vague nonsense, how's outcomes doing? No real change?
ending various tax-dodging loopholes, such as the IHT for farmers and non-dom taxes
They chickened out on that and for me, it's not nearly enough and exactly shows the problem with Keir Starmer and his boring pussy arsed government. IHT should be like 100% over a certain amount, there should be no generational wealth. He should be making that case and it would certainly set him apart from Farage and company.
windfall tax on energy companies
Probably the first one we can unambiguously say 'ok' on.... Though of course, not really because the energy windfall tax was a Tory policy from 2022 and all they did was increase the rate from 35% to 38%.
I really cannot be arsed to go through the rest, but suffice to say.
Bullshit mate.