Give children cheap sweets – Labour MP

This has to be a classic gaff from the ranks of Labour’s backbenchers. Step forward Sharon Hodgson MP, recently dumped by Labour as their candidate for Gateshead constituency.

Last year, Sharon had a good idea. Clearly, this was an historic event in its own right so I made a note of her grand plan and, I have to confess, I did rather like it, even if the cost of it is sky high.

Her proposal was to give all school children healthy, free school meals in a bid to tackle obesity and poor health. There is a “need to tackle obesity, promote skills and change lifestyles” she told the Commons on 13th November.

I wouldn’t go as far as pouring scorn on the parents who fed pizza to their kids as she did but her point about poor diet was a reasonable one. Sharon, nevertheless, was clearly on a crusade. As she wrote in politics.co.uk, “I see it as part of my responsibility as an elected representative to promote policies which could benefit children's health…”

So I find it rather strange that having promoted healthy diets, she’s now whinging about the price of sweets and confectionery being too high. Okay, her attack is about the price paid when visiting cinemas, but how she squares her call for cheap sweets with her previous call for healthy lifestyles for children is something I definitely want to see.

Sugary Sharon has proposed an early day motion which attacks the cimema chains for charging too much for the sweets, pop corn, ice creams, pizzas, cokes and other foods and drinks that no one going to the cinema is forced to buy. EDM 983 goes on to put the boot in to the cinemas for having the effrontery to remove people who have brought along their own healthy alternative of teeth rotting sweets and cola.

So, in a matter of 3 months, Sharon has swung from Fight-the-Flab Crusader to Marie-Antoinette Let-Them-Eat-Cake (and sweets and cola) guerilla fighter. I suspect she has been eating too many of those sweets the House of Commons shop sells. What are they called? Let me think…..oh yes, I remember, Parliamentary Humbugs!

By the way Sugary Sharon, what is your next crusade going to be about? How about this? Look at all those restaurants charging a fair whack for a bottle of wine. Why not have a campaign to force lower prices!? Or you could attack restaurants for refusing to let people bring their own wine. In fact, Sugary Sharon, go the whole hog, and attack restaurants for not letting people bring in their own food as well!

I doubt however that Sugary Sharon will be eating much at the moment. With both feet in her mouth, I doubt there will be room for anything else!