Leading public health experts are calling on members of Parliament (MPs) to protect the health of their constituents and ‘wise up’ to lobbying tactics from businesses whose sales contribute to poor health. These include tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food and drinks.

The report from the Alcohol Health Alliance, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) has highlighted how these industries use shared strategies to delay or disrupt public health policies to protect their business models. Common tactics include downplaying the potential harms linked to their products, using legal threats, and creating misleading narratives about individual responsibility.

The report calls on MPs to:

  • Avoid conflicts of interest and reject corporate hospitality (such as tickets to sporting or cultural events) from unhealthy product industries
  • Call on the government to adopt transparent principles for engagement and interaction with health harming industries
  • Equip themselves to challenge common industry arguments that undermine public health

Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said, “Alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy food are the three biggest killers in our society, with alcohol alone claiming 10,000 lives in 2022—the worst on record. Our national health and frontline services are at breaking point as a result.

“For too long, previous governments have worked hand in glove with these industries, leading to policies that prioritise private profits over public health. All the while people have paid the price with their lives.

He added, “MPs are expected to make decisions based on the best interests of their constituents, but we know that lobbying tactics such as receiving gifts and benefits from these industries can lead to a conflict of interest and impartiality being compromised.”

Protecting health policy from industry influence is strongly supported by the British public. A YouGov poll of over 13,000 adults revealed that most people support protecting government health policies from the influence of the tobacco industry (78 per cent), the alcohol industry (71 per cent), and the manufacturers of unhealthy food and drinks (71 per cent).

One strategy outlined in the report is using gifts, benefits, and hospitality to gain access to MPs and their staff and cultivate allies. MPs and members of the House of Lords are permitted to accept such gifts under the ‘Code of Conduct’ provided they declare any gifts exceeding £300 in value.

The authors explained that recent reports raise concerns that businesses are providing gifts strategically valued just below the £300 threshold or are distributed during parliamentary events where they don’t have to be declared by an MP. Therefore, the register of members’ interests may represent only a fraction of the actual gifts received. This raises concerns about conflicts of interest, particularly when MPs make policy decisions that may impact these industries.

The Labour government has pledged to restore public confidence in politics by ensuring the highest standards of integrity and transparency. Considering this, ASH, OHA, and AHA are urging MPs to familiarise themselves with common lobbying tactics and prioritise the health of their constituents above the profits of unhealthy industries.

Gerry Taylor, spokesperson for the Association of Directors of Public Health on the Commercial Determinants of Health, said, “Harmful products including tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food and drink cause a multitude of largely avoidable conditions, including many cancers, respiratory, heart and liver disease, mental health disorders and suicide.

“In England alone, these conditions cause nearly 90 per cent of deaths. To build a stronger, healthier, and more productive society, we need to reduce the levels of harmful consumption so that the number of people experiencing and dying from preventable diseases can also be reduced.

“Consumer choice is not completely free. Instead, it is heavily influenced by industry lobbying and tactics and so we need to rethink how these businesses are engaged in policy making where there are clear conflicts between commercial and public interests. By concentrating our efforts on building a strong economy which delivers good wages, good jobs and promotes good health and wellbeing for everyone, we will be able to improve the nation’s health and create a society where people are able to enjoy healthier lives for longer.”

While the UK’s commitments under the World Health Organisation’s Tobacco Control Treaty impose strict rules on government engagement with the tobacco industry, similar regulations are lacking for the alcohol and junk food industries.

The authors said that this gap in regulation is a cause for concern, particularly as public support for government action in this area is strong. The health organisations have said the government must listen and take decisive action to protect public health policy from undue industry influence.

Jim Dickson, Labour MP for Dartford, said, “Taking hospitality from companies that are lobbying politicians to be allowed to continue to promote and sell their products in ways that harm my constituents does not sit well with me. I will be avoiding these offers, and my advice to others is to do the same.

“In my view, all engagement with businesses should be fully transparent and always in the interests of the public.”

Author: