Labour follows Tories with retreat on junk food deals

Labour has backed the government in scrapping a ban on buy one, get one free deals on junk food, saying the cost of living crisis meant it needed to pause “heavy-handed” anti-obesity rules.

Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said it would be “tin-eared” to introduce more regulation now and he would prefer to work with food companies on a voluntary basis.

Health campaigners reacted with dismay to his comments, which came during a conference in which Labour has been determined to avoid doing anything that would allow the Tories to accuse them of raising taxes for working families.

Liz Truss is preparing to ditch rules banning promotional deals for unhealthy products, already delayed for a year, alongside scrapping a proposed 9pm watershed for