Red meat tax

[AdamNichol]

BBC story:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46122227

No doubt a lot of wrangling online over this one, with passions aplenty on both sides. But there's a small matter in all these stories that irks me - when the proponents say "It will prevent X deaths". No it won't. It will delay X deaths, until those people die of something else instead

i was listening to this on the radio today and my first thought was another tax on the people who cant afford free range, organic get it from your local butcher people, so people on low incomes who eat stuff like sausages burgers and processed food will have even less choice for their budgets

Hopefully it will encourage people to eat less meat, which will be far better for the environment.

just another way to tax by the back door.

Eating less meat won't solve the problem. The beef in our shops shouldn't come from South America, the lamb shouldn't come from New Zealand, the pork shouldn't come from Denmark and chicken should come from Thailand. The transportation causes far more damage to the environment than the rearing of the cattle.
Sure buy less but buy local.

On the radio today someone suggested that rather than tax red meat a better idea would be to subsidise meatfree options such as veggie burgers and sausages, etc. I thought that was better idea but I truly believe it all comes down to education. We need to teach people how to eat healthily again, teach home economics at schools again.

just another way to tax by the back door.

How would a direct tax on something be a 'tax by the back door'?

I wouldn't call veggie sausages healthy. They usually have an ingredients list that belongs in a chemistry book.

when the proponents say "It will prevent X deaths"

How pedantic! It will prevent people dying from red meat related causes. That’s pretty obvious isn’t it?

ThereIsNoSuchThingAsRoadTax i might have used the wrong term. but its another tax, whilst the government will say tax hasn't gone up.
if the "tax" doesn't go to the government then its just a price hike.

It would be as popular and long lived as the "pasty tax".

Red meat costs a lot anyway.

I would prefer to see improved welfare for animals. I know the UK has fairly good standards. I think imported products should have to reach the same standard. Costs would then go up naturally with no need for taxes.

Maybe more people will succumb due to pernicious anemia.

The price of imported meat is going to go up a lot soon anyway if what they say about Brexit is true, so we will need to feed ourselves, and support British farmers and local producers so they can step into the gap. A tax like this isn't going to help matters, especially if British farmers are going to lose subsidies and see their income drop as a result.

Maybe more people will succumb due to pernicious anaemia

Diet doesn’t cause pernicious anaemia. It’s probably autoimmune.

Sugar tax.
Minimum pricing on alcohol.
Red meat tax.

All because adults canny eat a healthy, balanced diet.
What's next... government sanctioned rations and nothing else?

If i want to eat meat and drink a glass of wine followed by pudding I will. To be honest I'd have more respect for the gov when they admit their dietary advice is what piles weight on people. Low fat and added sugar is what has caused this obesity epidemic.

Well......venison is going to be much ‘deerer’...

I think this taxation on things that the government deems is bad for us is going too far now. The people that will be affected by it will be the ones that can't afford to pay a higher price for meat. So basically the government is saying 'This is bad for you so were going to tax it,unless you're wealthy and can afford it,then go ahead'. Ridiculous . What will they think of to tax next,I find myself thinking? Breathing? Having a shit? Having sex?

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Nanny state policies like this that disproportionately impact the less affluent really irritate me. Why not have a public information campaign?

The consultant at the coeliac clinic told me my son needs to eat lots more red meat (as he’s anaemic). So I’d be pretty annoyed really if the government decided to punitively tax it.

Why is red meat deemed less healthy? Really? Fat? The jury is really out on that one. As a previous poster said, red meat contains good amounts of iron. What should be all eat? Chicken? Is intensive chicken farming which pumps chickens full of antibiotics really better for the environment. If red meat is taxed it would put a lot of strain on the chicken industry. Vegetables? We've already had avocado shortages, courgette shortages and cauliflower shortages,

It’s crazily over simplistic. And it won’t have people reducing their consumption, but trading down to shit quality which I suspect is a genuine health risk.

I cant eat a lot of veg, peanuts or dairy. I get very ill. Was adviced by my doctor to get more red meat in my diet as i was borderline anemic. With Gerd due to a hernia, fibromyalgia and under active thyroid, unable to work at all, this tax will only punish the less well off and the fat greedy mps will still have their steaks and eat it. What exactly are people like me meant to eat.

A tax on fast food, or better still, restricted hours and allowing councils to restrict new places opening would be better in my view.

Theres tax on everything now. Its squeezing families to a point its actually depressing.
I try to eat well, i cook most days for my kids and they can also cook fairly well. So are capable of helping out but occassionally im just so ill i physically struggle to get out of bed without being sick. So yes on occassions i may order in just so we get fed..especially if theres not much food in.

It's not a tax on all red meat, as I understand, it's processed meat such as sausages and bacon - I did read burgers as well, but I guess cheap ready-made burgers have a lot of additives. There is a lot of evidence that too much processed meat is bad for us. I don't think the tax will happen, if it did it certainly would affect poorer people disproportionately. But then so do taxes on tobacco and alcohol.