Andrew Lansley’s decision to scrap the Food Standards Agency’s traffic light system for food labelling and put the makers of Pot Noodle (the slag of all snacks) in charge of a healthy task force has been welcomed by the food industry.
A Tory election win would mean victory for the GDA campaign, supported by Unilever and Tescos, for the less transparent percentages labelling, Guideline Daily Amounts.
A little look through the Electoral Commission register reveals a tasty (high fat) morsel.
Since at least 2002, the Tories have received almost £54,000 in donations from David Samworth and his company, Samworth Brothers. Amongst these donations, were £6,000 to the Rutland and Melton Conservative Association of Shadow Business and Enterprise Secretary Alan Duncan.
It’ll probably come as no surprise that Samworth Brothers are better known as the makers of Dickinson and Morris Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, Ginsters Pasties and ready meals for Tescos..
Alan Duncan MP, whose constituency includes Melton Mowbray, home of the pork pie, tabled an Early Day Motion in 2005 urging the government to protect the name of the locally produced pork pie by supporting a campaign to become a protected designation of origin (PDO.)
He was so successful that he managed to get 163 - pretty much every Tory MP - to sign it.
Unfortunately for Duncan, whose brief covers compliance and regulations, it seems he failed to declare these donations in the Register of Members Interests and his vested interest in the campaign.
Looks like the ‘Responsibility Deal’ isn’t being followed by Duncan.
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[…] Looks like Alan Duncan isn’t the only member of the Shadow Cabinet whose taken money from Mr Pieman. […]
RecessMonkey » Blog Archive » Piegate - The clot thickens! said this on September 3rd, 2008 at 5:36 am
The whole ‘good for you food’/bad for you food’ is a bit nannyish isn’t it? Give people the information and let them decide whether they want to eat it or not.
dutch said this on September 4th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
[…] Recognition is very important. As is declaration, as regular Recess Monkey readers will know. […]
RecessMonkey » Blog Archive » Piegate -update said this on October 4th, 2008 at 1:02 pm