Starmer is preparing a government ‘latte tax’ for nannies

Sir Keir Starmer is plotting Nanny introduces a “latte tax” on canned coffee and milkshakes.

The government has announced it is considering applying a sugar tax to coffee drinks with milk and bottled milkshakes as part of efforts to tackle the problem. obesity crisis.

While freshly brewed coffee will be exempt, many canned drinks will not qualify.

The tax comes into force for drinks with more than 5g of sugar per 100ml, and the government plans to lower the threshold.

The Costa Coffee Iced Latte can contains 5.2g of sugar per 100ml, while the Starbucks Daily Brew Iced Coffee with Milk contains 5.8g. The M&S Iced Coffee Latte contains 7g per 100ml.

A sugar tax on fizzy drinks was originally introduced in 2018, but an exemption for milk-based drinks was included as ministers did not want to deter people from consuming enough calcium. Milk is a key source of the mineral, which is important for strong bones and teeth.

However, in documents quietly published alongside the Budget, the government said it was “likely that the health benefits do not justify the harm from excess sugar”, with young people getting only 3.5% of their calcium intake from milk-based drinks.

It suggested that by extending the tax on milkshakes and milk-based coffee drinks, it would encourage manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar in their recipes.

Some milkshakes sold in supermarkets contain a third of the recommended daily sugar intake, while take-away milk coffee drinks can you have the same amount of sugar? They’re like candy bars.