Jacob Rees-Mogg calls for Chocolate Orange protest over government’s junk food rules
Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg has urged shoppers to move Chocolate Oranges to checkout displays to protest against the government’s own junk food rules.
The Business Secretary rallied against new regulations – which came in last week – which mean sugary treats cannot be displayed in prominent places.
He told an audience at the Tory Party Conference: “May I encourage people as a passive protest to move the Chocolate Oranges to the checkout counter when they’re next in a particular supermarket whose name has appeared in the popular presses.
“Freedom for Chocolate Oranges is what I say.”
The new restrictions, backed by the Department of Health and Social care, apply to medium and large retailers – with new rules on where products high in fat, sugar and salt can be placed.
It is claimed this will help tackle obesity and encourage children to make healthier choices.
The Cabinet member told members of the party faithful that many sectors are over-regulated, and vowed to clampdown on rules he claimed were standing in the way of businesses.
Mr Rees-Mogg, who said he supported the government’s controversial tax cuts for the highest earners but said it was halted by “political reality”, also told delegates he has recently been enjoying rewatching Carry On films.
Describing his love for the much-loved farcical films, he said: “I’ve been watching them as my children are of the age where they’ve got that sense of humour and I never got beyond that sense of humour.”
He argued that “ridiculous” current regulations set up “to protect the German manufacturing industry” stop the UK from importing “perfectly safe” vacuum cleaners from the US or South Korea.
The government’s aim of an annual 2.5% trend rate of growth cannot be achieved without better regulation, he said.
Mr Rees-Mogg, who has six children, denied that he would slash every EU-derived rule because that would allow “children to go up chimneys”, joking that this would be “a good income stream” for his own family.
Appealing for financial regulations reform, Mr Rees-Mogg argued that “the problem we have at the moment is we regulate the honest and the crooks get away with it”.
Asked how confident he is that the Government can restore its credibility among financial markets and the electorate, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “Oh it’s easy.
“Financial markets take their views on a daily basis. Financial markets aren’t the single Leviathan that people seem to think, they are trading decisions made by millions of actors on a daily basis.
“And in some way or another the euro’s managed to reassure investors. I wouldn’t believe it for too long.”