'HOIST WITH ONE'S OWN PETAR[D]

Meet Cllr Brenda Warrington, the Chair of the Personal and Health Services Scrutiny Panel and poster girl for politicians who like to run with both the hare and the hounds.

At the beginning of 2013, Ms Warrington presented a report to Tameside’s Executive committee, recommending a clampdown on the boroughs take-a-ways, fast food outlets and burger vans, in an effort to help tackle obesity and promote ‘healthy’ eating.

In 2009, during Ms Warrington’s stint as Deputy Mayor, she again came under fire for a conflict of interest in her dealings with the pro-smoking group.

At the time she was Chairman of the Tobacco Workers Alliance and campaigned against a total smoking ban in an effort to protect tobacco workers jobs, however, at the same time, as Executive Member for Personal and Community Services, she also had overall responsibility for dealing with both Tameside and Glossop NHS trust in promoting the Quit Smoking campaign!

Ironically, during that conflict, Ms Warrington defended her position by saying, “The first thing I need make clear is the fact that I have always supported the rights of adults to make their own choices.”

But now it would appear she’s of the opinion that those same adults can’t be trusted to eat healthily and has taken the responsibility away from them, preferring instead to restrict the places where they can spend their own money on take-a-ways, pizzas and chips for themselves and their families.

But, is it really the council’s job to dictate diet and lifestyle choices? Surely those decisions should be left up to the individual.

Imagine going out to eat and ordering a regular Pepperoni Pizza, only to have the waiter tell you that you may not have it, that you must have the Chicken and Bean Salad instead. How would you feel? The choice between a Chicken Salad and a Pizza as part of weekly balanced diet is a fairly benign one, but it demonstrates a characteristic of human nature that it would appear is being overlooked by local councillors: we don't like to be forced into decisions we're capable of making for ourselves.