'Metastasising of guilt' - Bev Turner hits out at ‘insanity’ of Hilton Hotels' food carbon ratings

Bev was immediately against the idea, stating "I don't want the guilt!" Buxton was also against the idea, highlighting that "they want you to have a less carbon footprint, but they want you to eat something more processed".

Nigel Nelson revealed he was on board with the idea, arguing that you "can ignore the rating", similar to calorie counters on food menus.

Bev argued further in opposition of Nelson, stating: "I think what worries me Nigel, you say you can't ignore it. But the psychological damage we're doing to people with all this like metastasising of guilt all the time, you've gotta feel bad. You've gotta feel bad.

"We all want clean oceans, clean rivers, clean air. I wanna live in a clean country where most of our homes generate our own energy."

Nelson replied: “Or you could say that people want to be informed and it's then up to them what choice they make. But this time it's an informed choice. So if you want to have a low calorie meal it seems to be reasonable to see how many calories that meal is going to going to give you."

Bev then argued: "But isn't it funny how it happens? Because when the calories was first announced as being a project, a policy that we were going to see this in restaurants, at first I was quite happy about it for that very reason. And now I'm realising psychologically what it's doing to the nation, and of course it's now become that every choice we make seems to be about some sort of moral, it has to have a moral dimension."

Buxton then made the point of Hilton's attempt at tackling climate change, saying: "If Hilton really wanted to save the planet they would ban plastics throughout their whole empire. That would save the seas, that would save so much more than this virtue signalling."

Nelson agreed with Buxton, as she added "If Keir Starmer came in and said I'm going to ban plastic then I would maybe vote for him."

Bev then weighed in on Buxton's point, arguing: "Yeah, there are some things which cut through with the public, but I think it's also the futility of this. If you're compromising your burger for a vegetarian pasta whilst China's building a coal-fired power station every week, you're an idiot."

Nigel again argued in favour of the move: “The whole point is that climate change is a world problem, and the world has to pull together to do it, which means we do our bit. If China makes a small change, it will be more important for the climate than a than a big change in a place like Britain."

Bev fumed: “It's just like the insanity of me not having a burger, in order to do what? It's about virtue signalling. I don't like the phrase virtue signalling, virtue is generally good. Being a good person is a good thing.

"But the idea of sitting across the table from someone who goes, 'oh, you're having the steak are you? Oh well I'm only going to have the vegetarian pasta'."

Nigel replied: "I would actually look at this this thing, I would suddenly take note of it. But decide to eat what I what I want to eat. And if somebody felt differently because they really believe that they can actually help with the climate, they go for the fish."

Bev reiterated her point, saying: "Do you know what it's going to cause, division about everything else which comes into this sphere of environmental, social governance. There's going to be arguments around the table. There's going to be arguments amongst families.

"It's miserable, we've got 2.6 million people in this country off sick with long term sick. A lot of that is mental health conditions. This is not a coincidence, this mindset we're being moved into.

"Can you imagine sitting at the table with a really virtuous teenager who's had all week at school being told it's their responsibility to save the planet and you try and order a T-bone steak?"