Griffiths 'furious' as Tory MP kills Bill to ban junk-food ads

Published on Saturday 26 April 2008 10:42

CITY MP Nigel Griffiths today spoke of his anger at seeing his Bill to curb junk-food advertising on TV killed off by a Tory backbencher who used to work for Asda.

Mr Griffiths, a former consumer affairs minister, had proposed a Private Member's Bill to ban ads for unhealthy food and fizzy drinks before 9pm.

But Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, was still speaking when time ran out in yesterday's second-reading debate in the Commons, and the measure now stands virtually no chance of progressing.

Mr Davies, a marketing manager with Asda in Leeds before entering parliament, told MPs: "People have to bring up their children with a belief in what's right and wrong, and not farm out responsibility to the state."

But today Mr Griffiths, Labour MP for Edinburgh South, said: "I'm absolutely furious a former supermarket executive from Asda, who doesn't believe in advertising controls, has done this.

"And my anger will be shared by health organisations and others up and down the country."

He said his proposals had been backed by 43 organisations, ranging from the British Medical Association to the National Union of Teachers.

And there was cross-party support in the Commons for the measure. Mr Griffiths said the motion on the issue had attracted 211 MPs' signatures, making it one of the top ten in parliament.