Liz Truss is ‘preparing to scrap sugar tax on soft drinks’

Liz Truss is reportedly preparing to scrap the sugar tax on soft drinks in a bid to ease the ongoing cost of living crisis.

A ban on ‘buy one, get one free’ promotions on unhealthy food is also unlikely to go ahead, with next month’s ban on sweets and chocolates on display at checkouts also in doubt.

According to The Times, chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has ordered health officials to review obesity measures ‘in the context of the cost of living’, a move that government sources believe precipitates the removal of the tax.

Policies that ‘have a direct impact on the cost of living’ are being targeted by the review and a statement about ending the sugar tax in next week’s tax-cutting fiscal event has not been ruled out.

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Truss had previously backed the idea of scrapping the sugar tax, saying ‘taxes on treats hit those on the lowest incomes.”

Thérèse Coffey, the health secretary and deputy prime minister, is reportedly ‘on board’ with the tax ban as she focuses on measures to avert a winter NHS crisis.

However, Truss doesn’t have the support of the full party, with one senior Conservative source saying: “I’m not sure this will survive contact with reality because it is politically toxic. It’s a piece of culture war rather than a piece of health policy.”

Officials in a public health team led by Sir Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, are also said to be ‘appalled’ by the plan.

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Professor Graham MacGregor from the campaign group Action on Sugar said of the proposed plan: “Scrapping the government’s evidence-based obesity strategy would be disastrous to both public health and also to the many food businesses which have spent years and vast amounts of money preparing for this change in policy.”

However, John O’Connell, the chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, supported Truss’s plan to scrap the tax, saying: “Plans to end ‘buy one, get one free’ were only going to pile pressure on hard-hit households during a cost of living crisis.

“The government cannot expect taxpayers to further tighten their belts and Truss is right to row it back.”