Britons have torn apart Chancellor Rachel Reeves's plans to implement a "milkshake tax" as part of the Government's latest attempt at tackling obesity.
Reeves has reportedly claimed that the products have a "damaging impact" on the public's health, with obesity rates in the country rising from 14.9 per cent in 1993 to 28.9 per cent in 2022.
Hitting out at the plans, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was "sick to death of a government telling us how we should live", telling the BBC that Labour should focus on "educating people who can then make healthy decisions".
Delivering their verdict on GB News, residents of Hull told GB News reporter Anna Riley that the plans are "disgusting", questioning which food items the Chancellor plans to restrict next.
Rachel Reeves has been blasted by Britons amid plans to instil a 'milkshake tax' to tackle obesity
GB News / PA
In disagreement with the policy, one resident told GB News: "It is disgusting, it's too expensive already, so I don't like it at all.
"People are getting obese, but we definitely need to reduce the tax, it's too expensive. Very expensive. Everything is expensive now, and they keep raising it. It's not good, and I don't support it at all."
Acknowledging that the Government are "encouraging people to live a healthier life", another Hull local argued that the tax would "stigmatise" those wanting a sweet treat such as a milkshake, and creates a system which "denies" people of those treats.
He explained: "When you increase the price of milkshake, it can deny a lot of people their treat, and will encourage a system that will deny people what they love to have.
"And for me personally, I think when they are denied such opportunity or it's not affordable or within their reach, that can escalate the issue of mental health."
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Experts warn the decision by Reeves could drive prices up by as much as 24p a litre
PAHe added: "Then the other side of it is that it's it will be a wonderful and good thing to encourage people to live a healthier life, but we can look for a way to encourage people to live a healthier life without putting up a system that appears punitive.
"We need to encourage people to lose weight, but at the same time not stigmatising those people. Everybody should be free to live a free life the way they love to live it."
Admitting her reservations towards the planned tax, a mother-of-three told Anna Riley that although she can "see why they're doing it", her family often take a trip to the local farm where a milkshake is a "treat" at the end of their day out - which could now be taken away from them.
She told GB News: "I can understand why they're doing it, but I think it's a bit silly - there's other ways around avoiding obesity rather than putting sugar taxes on things like milkshake. I think it's probably one of the more minor things that they could put a tax on, I don't think it's really that much of a big factor.
Britons hit out at the 'disgusting' plans, questioning whether taxes will also be placed on food items in future
GB News
"We go to The Milk Well once a week, I've got three young children and they love going there, so it'd be a big effect on us. We see it as like a day out, so depending on the sugar tax, that might take it away from us."
A mother and daughter, who were enjoying a coffee frappe, also hit out at the planned tax and claimed it is "disgusting" - and means they can no longer have their favourite blended beverage.
She fumed: "They've done it to a lot of things, like the Coke and everything, being unfair to us all, putting prices on everything. It's disgusting, I don't agree with it at all. I won't be able to get my caramel frappes.
"You can't get fat anyway, you can sit down, eat food, crisps and everything. They're going to put tax on food next, that's what the next thing is going to be."
