Commenting on today’s speech by Andrew Lansley, No Excuses, No Nannying, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said:

“Everyone has a responsibility to look after their own health, but the prescription the Tories are offering has failed in the past and will fail in the future.

“Andrew Lansley’s speech exposes the confusion at the heart of the Conservative’s strategy.

“He lectures people about their responsibility. He blames people for being overweight and says they lack self-discipline and self-esteem. Yet when it comes to junk food he’s much more sensitive about the problem of ‘stigmatising’ it.

“This is the same old nasty party moralising and lecturing whilst remaining silent on the causes of increasing obesity.

“Central to tackling obesity must be policies reduce inequality, deprivation and poor education.”