Tunnocks slams UK Government over TV advert ban
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
TUNNOCK'S bosses have slammed plans to ban TV ads for their tasty treats until after 9pm.
The iconic company, based in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, are famed for their snowballs, teacakes and caramel logs which are exported around the globe.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
Tunnock's chiefs have hit out at the UK Government over a TV advert restriction
Credit: Les Gallagher - The Sun Glasgow
2
The historic confectionary firm is renowned for its teacakes
Credit: John Kirkby - The Sun Glasgow
But junk food advertisements are soon to be banned from airing before the TV watershed as part of the government's drive to improve public health.
In addition, online ads for products that are high in fat, salt and sugar will be banned altogether.
In an interview, Fergus Loudon, sales director at Tunnock's, said: 'What we really need to guard against is, as an industry, being blamed for societal problems which are most definitely not of our making.
'Obesity is a serious issue but it's an issue that only education will address.
'Banning chocolate biscuit ads on TV before nine o'clock to prevent obesity is rather like banning foreign holidays to prevent skin damage from too much sun.'
In February, Tunnock's took a swipe at rival brands that reduced the size of their products in a new advertising campaign.
The biscuit firm teamed up with Taggart star Alex Norton to investigate other chocolate makers "getting away with murder" by shrinking their bars.
The actor played the role of a detective probing the growing trend of "shrinkflation" in the confectionery industry.
Westminster plans to introduce the new AD restrictions on October 1 2025 across the UK.
Ally McCoist is in cycling crash as he rides 555 miles across Ireland to raise money for the My Name's Doddie Foundation
A recent survey by Obesity Action Scotland showed a majority of Scots would support a ban on junk food advertising before 9pm.
The poll, which was carried out by YouGov on behalf of the campaign group, found 74 per cent supported a ban on junk food adverts on TV before 9pm, with 69 per cent supporting a similar ban online and 66 per cent a ban on adverts outside the home before 9pm.
A UK Government spokesperson said: "Obesity robs our kids of the best possible start in life, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems, and costs the NHS billions.
"This government is taking action now to end the targeting of junk food ads at kids, across both TV and online.
"This is the first step to deliver a major shift in the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention, and towards meeting our government's ambition to give every child a healthy, happy start to life."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
29 minutes ago
- The National
More Scots should benefit from Scotland's screen industry, John Swinney says
JOHN Swinney has said more needs to be done to increase the number of Scots benefitting from Scotland's screen industry. The First Minister had invited guests from across Scotland's creative industries to the headquarters of the Edinburgh International Festival on the eve of the capital's festival season. Swinney addressed the audience, where he spoke about the 'immense value' Scotland's creative industries provide and highlighted that the country's screen industry has grown at a scale that 'simply wasn't possible' before the establishment of Screen Scotland. He added that Scotland becoming a hotbed for film and TV shows has led to an explosion in the number of home-grown productions along with new and expanded studios and infrastructure, while creating a 'wide range of skills and educational opportunities'. READ MORE: Labour's governing fiasco shows Scots the urgency of independence, says John Swinney However, a number of people working in a variety of roles in the screen industry have told The National previously that production companies are prioritising crews from London over people in Scotland. The National understands that studio space across Scotland is fully booked for the remainder of the year, but despite a boom in filming in Scotland, Scottish workers in the industry are not given the opportunities to be a part of it. Speaking to The National, Swinney said that the Scottish Government needs to 'make sure' that there is better access to screen infrastructure for Scots, adding that there needs to be more recognition of the 'economic benefits' the sector brings. He said: 'I suppose there's a point about essentially the effects of success that is leading to a congestion and access to screen infrastructure. 'Now what we've got to make sure is that we have enough capacity and it's available in a financially sustainable way to meet the needs of the screen industry in Scotland. 'It's an area where we've got Screen Scotland, who's done a superb job as you heard me saying in the in the auditorium, but, we've also got to look at what might need to be deployed through economic development support and advice through Scottish Enterprise and other organisations to make sure we've got all the capacity that we require. Swinnney added: 'Because if we've got incrementally a growing strength within our screen center we should be realising the economic benefits and advantages of that. 'Of course, our college and university community will be producing talented individuals who can play a part in that, and we've got to make sure that we've got enough capacity and opportunity for that to be the case.' Swinney added that his and his Government's role is to assist artists in any way they can. The First Minister went on to make a plea to those in the industry and to wider society to look at how the arts can be better supported financially as the Government looks to boost funding to £100 million annually in the coming years. 'I'm asking that from crowdfunding to patronage, to philanthropy to local authority support and much more, we all ask ourselves how can we do more to support the arts from the grassroots up?' he said. 'How can we better support emerging artists that don't necessarily fit the current mould? 'And how, in particular, can Scotland's emerging businesses in new sectors become the new generation of patrons of the arts and culture in Scotland? 'How do we incentivise a new guard of custodians and investors in Scotland's creative economy?' Speaking to journalists after his speech, Swinney said he is open to discussions about new legislation to support the cultural sector. He said there is a sense that local authorities 'might not have a particularly explicit statutory duty to support artistic and cultural activity', suggesting this area 'might need to be strengthened'. The First Minister also spoke about how he would be a protector of freedom of speech. 'I also know that freedom of expressing is under greater and greater attack, both at home and abroad,' he said. 'I want to ensure that Scotland, the birthplace of the Enlightenment, remains a country of robust debate and inquiry. 'I firmly believe that art and culture must be able to challenge us, to ask us tough questions, and to force us to look at things from different perspectives. READ MORE: Peers' bid to stop UK recognising Palestine as a state blasted as 'deplorable' 'And, yes, it must, at times, be allowed to shock and offend us, but it can also heal us. 'Let me be absolutely clear – as First Minister, I will always protect freedom of speech in our country. 'It's not the First Minister's job to tell you what to create, nor would I ever seek to do so.'
The National
42 minutes ago
- The National
Force the 1% to cough up for their climate damage
Land ownership in Scotland is incredibly concentrated in a small number of hands. Fewer than 500 people own more than half of our private land. This motley group includes our own aristocrats, whose families have owned huge estates for centuries and whose wealth is often a result of their forebears' brutal actions during the Highland Clearances. But in recent decades they've been joined by a new group, the elite of global capitalism. The biggest landowner in Scotland used to be the Duke of Buccleuch, but now it's Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen. And the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum isn't far behind. READ MORE: More Scots need to benefit from Scotland's screen industry, John Swinney says And he might not be in the same league as Povlsen or the Sheikh in terms of hectares, but Scotland's most infamous landowner is undoubtedly Donald Trump. Thankfully, the US president has now returned home after a brief stint of shaking hands, being drowned out by bagpipes and teeing off at his Scottish golf courses. Last year, I proposed a private jet tax which would see Trump and his cronies charged a 'super rate' of up to £250,000 every time they fly here for non-government business. This is something which should be within the powers of the Scottish Government, but is now a decade overdue. In the aftermath of the independence referendum, all parties agreed to devolve air passenger duty to the Scottish Parliament. An Act was passed by MSPs to replace it with a new Scottish air departure tax. But it can't start until the UK Government resolves an issue with the exemption for lifeline island flights – and neither they nor the [[Scottish Government]] seem to be in any rush to do that. If this was resolved, the Scottish Government could immediately bring in a super-tax on private jets, reflecting the fact that they are about twenty times more polluting than regular flights. Personally, I'd rather ban most private air travel. It is the perfect example of how the world's richest 1% are disproportionately responsible for the climate crisis. Unfortunately, full powers over air travel are still reserved to Westminster for now. Trump doesn't care about the climate, but he would care about the £250,000 tax bill every time his huge private plane arrives here. Some super-rich elites would undoubtedly take the financial hit and still fly here anyway, but the money raised could at least then be used to fund climate-friendly policies like cheaper buses and trains. And private air travel is just one example of how the super-rich play by different rules to the rest of us, all whilst avoiding paying their fair share. For too long, they have been allowed to avoid not just paying their fair share in tax, but also having their often deeply damaging activities scrutinised. All while ordinary people suffer the consequences of budgets for schools, hospitals and social care being squeezed. Tax is the price we pay for living in a civilised society, one with public services capable of meeting all of our needs throughout our lives. But the richest among us do not pay nearly enough towards maintaining the services needed for that kind of society. The Scottish Greens have long called for a wealth tax, one which would see the richest 10% of people who hold almost half the total wealth of the country taxed fairly. Introducing just a 1% annual tax on all wealth and assets above £1 million would massively boost the efforts to create a fairer, better Scotland for everyone. For context, the other 90% of Scots households hold nowhere near enough wealth to be considered for such a tax, with the average having about £214,000 in assets. This would be an extremely well-targeted tax, raising billions from those who can more than afford to pay. We are not the only people calling for a wealth tax. Just this week, leading economists from across the world have called on Labour to introduce a UK-wide wealth tax to tackle extreme levels of inequality and poverty. They have warned the Government what the Greens have argued for years: that far too much wealth is concentrated in the hands of far too few people in the UK, and it is damaging society at large. Sadly, Labour seem determined to rule this out. It is time for Keir Starmer to seriously rethink his approach and what he wants his legacy to be: a society where everyone has what they need to get by, or one where far too many children are left in desperate poverty whilst a tiny number of people hoard more wealth than they could spend in a thousand lifetimes. The Scottish Greens are clear on what we need to do: tax the super-rich now, for the good of people and planet.
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Cult Scots pizza spot to open second Glasgow venue
The restaurant has proven popular since its opening late last year PIZZA THAT Cult Scots pizza spot to open second Glasgow venue Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A PIZZA restaurant that describes itself as a 'slice of NY in Glasgow's West End' is set to make the move across to Edinburgh soon. Sear's Pizza opened on Chancellor Street in the west last year, founded by three of the city's restaurant experts. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Sears Pizza is set to open up a new pizza joint in the capital Credit: @searspizza/Instagram The eatery, inspired by similar joints in the Big Apple, offers pizza by the slice for as little as £2. It is set to replace the former Susie's Vegetarian Kitchen on Marchmont Road, which closed in June this year after its owners retired. The pizza joint looks as though it has been taken straight from the streets of Brooklyn, with a weathered, nostalgic look. The restaurant has proven popular since its opening late last year, with customers queuing for one of the ten options, with simple names such as 'tomato slice', 'cheese slice', and 'pepperoni slice'. Slices range from £2 to £4, with 18' pizza pies costing from £15 to £22. The restaurant was the brainchild of three restaurant owners in Glasgow; Daryl Leach, Tom Lauckner, and Paul Beveridge, owners of Bakes Pizza Al Taglio, Piece Glasgow, and Ramen Dayo respectively. Now, they are bringing their hand-tossed thin-crust slices to Edinburgh, with a shop set to open in Marchmont. This will take over the site of Susie's Vegetarian Kitchen, which used to serve fresh vegetarian meals such as moussaka, enchiladas, and pastries. Sear's Pizza recently began advertising for a kitchen supervisor/pizza chef for the new Marchmont Road location. The listing reads: 'We are excited to announce we have a new branch of Sear's Pizza opening in Edinburgh, a high-quality pizza takeaway based in the heart of Marchmont, Edinburgh. 'Known for our handcrafted New York pizzas made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, we pride ourselves on delivering consistently excellent food and customer service. 'As we grow, we're looking for a dedicated and experienced Kitchen Supervisor to join our team and help lead our kitchen operations." Sear's Pizza has been contacted for comment.
