Closed petition Scrap the plan to bring in a tax on sugary drinks

Closed on 17 September 2016

The tax on sugary drinks announced by the Chancellor in the budget on 16/03/16 impinges on the rights of people to choose what they would like to consume and how to raise their children. This is an illiberal policy showcasing the worst excesses of big government intrusion into people's lives.

Childhood obesity is a multi-faceted problem, caused by poor diet, a lack of exercise and a societal acceptance of weight gain. A tax on sugary drinks is unlikely to make any kind of impact on this problem, and is simply a headline grabbing measure. These taxes have been shown to be largely ineffective in the countries where they have been implemented, achieving only price rises in products that hit the poorest hardest.