Labour MP Tom Watson calls McDonald’s prize promotion ‘grotesque’

A McDonald’s promotion has been criticised by a Labour MP as a “danger to public health” for encouraging customers to buy more fast food to try to win prizes such as burgers, milkshakes and fries.

Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson called the Monopoly promotion at McDonald’s, which begins again on Wednesday, a “grotesque marketing strategy” and said it was “appalling” in the context of Britain’s high rates of child obesity.

Read more: Junk food ads set to be banned on TV and online before 9pm

Watson has written to McDonald’s UK chief executive Paul Pomroy calling for the promotion to be scrapped, the Observer reported. “Almost two-thirds of adults in England are overweight or obese. A quarter of children in England are overweight or obese by age five, rising to over a third by the end of primary school”, he wrote.

“McDonald’s must stop playing on people’s hopes and prioritising profit over public health. I urge you to cancel this marketing campaign.”

“It is unacceptable that this campaign aims to manipulate families into ordering junk food more frequently and in bigger portions, in the faint hope of winning a holiday, a car, or a cash prize many would otherwise struggle to afford”, he wrote.

Read more: Advertisers hit back in row over junk food bans

McDonald’s said: “Customer choice is at the heart of everything we do, including our popular Monopoly promotion. This year’s campaign sees customers receive prize labels on carrot bags, salads and our Big Flavour Wraps range, and we have removed the incentive to ‘go large’.”