31. The citizens fed up with being fed poorly

On Monday, campaigners delivered a Citizens’ Charter to the door of 10 Downing Street in which people from across the UK demanded urgent action to make healthier food more affordable and accessible. It came just days after the Health and Social Care Select Committee of MPs said they had “no faith” that the government will achieve its aim to “launch a moonshot to end the obesity epidemic”. Organised by the Recipe for Change alliance of NGOs, signatories to the charter want to see the government build on the success of the soft drinks industry levy by using fiscal and other regulatory measures to improve the food environment. With the Labour government well over two years into its term in office and recently under new leadership, Nick speaks with Kate Howard from Recipe for Change – who works as Children’s Food Campaign coordinator for Sustain – to discuss what actions citizens want to see from ministers and businesses where healthier food is concerned, and assess where we stand with government policies designed to improve the UK’s dietary health.