MEMBERS of the Scottish parliament have become embroiled in a health row after it emerged that they attended a football junket sponsored by McDonald’s, the burger chain, with another similar event planned for later this year.
Anti-obesity campaigners, including a government adviser, have criticised the MPs, MSPs and members of the Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies who accepted £15,000 of hospitality from the fast-food giant to attend the event in Cardiff.
They were put up in the £250-a-night Marriott hotel, where they were treated to a lavish dinner and a free bar in the company of former footballers, including Kenny Dalglish and Sir Geoff Hurst.
The politicians were also given complimentary tickets to the Community Shield match between Manchester United and Arsenal, all courtesy of McDonald’s.
The day before, they took part in an inter-parliamentary competition in which they wore T-shirts emblazoned with the company’s golden arches logo.
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Preparations are under way for a similar event at this year’s Community Shield.
The parliamentary teams included Frank McAveety, the sports minister, Robin Harper, the Green MSP, and Jim Murphy, the Scots MP and a vegetarian, dubbed “the King of freebies” at Westminster.
Murphy was one of 24 members of the all-party football team who accepted a £25,000 trip to Euro 2004 in Portugal as guests of McDonald’s earlier this month. The hospitality package included return flights, accommodation at a four-star hotel, free meals and drinks and tickets to England’s opening match against France.
Phil Hanlon, professor of public health at Glasgow University and an adviser to the Scottish executive, said politicians who associated themselves with fast-food chains were guilty of irresponsibility.
“McDonald’s is an important symbol of the problem and it is totally inappropriate for politicians to compromise themselves by putting themselves in a position of a conflict of interest,” he said.
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Others who took part in the event were Andy Kerr, the Scottish finance minister, Tavish Scott, his deputy,and Allan Wilson, the deputy environment minister whose 17-year-old son attended. Brian Monteith, a Tory MSP, took his two 16- year-old sons to the event.
Wilson, a former deputy sports minister, said he intended to go to this year’s event. He added: “I’ve got no problem with it. McDonald’s are very supportive of grassroots football and community football and that’s one means by which we can address childhood obesity.”
Scott commented: “I tend to take the view we have to work with all kinds of organisations, especially where there is a great involvement in sports coaching. If we all took an absolutist line on this we wouldn’t do anything in life.”
McAveety and Harper, Scotland’s first Green MSP, took part in the inter-parliamentary competition, which was won by the Welsh assembly team, but did not attend the dinner or the Charity Shield match. “I was not happy about the fact that, as a parliamentarian, McDonald’s insisted on us wearing their T-shirt with a big M on one side,” said Harper. “If they insist on that, as they did last time, I will not be playing.”
All the MSPs declared the trip in the Scottish parliament’s register of interests.
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Murphy has raised eyebrows at Westminster because of his fondness for hospitality. In 1999 he was treated to lunch and seats at Wimbledon, courtesy of Barclays Bank. In the same year he attended a football match at Old Trafford as the guest of Lotus Developments, which paid his travel and hotel expenses as well as providing free match tickets.
In 2002 he attended the World Cup in Japan and South Korea courtesy of Nomura Bank, FirstGroup, T-Mobile and Waterfront Properties, Nike and Burtons the tailors.
Last week the MP for Eastwood was unrepentant after being questioned about the Portugal trip, claiming that he was “bored” by all the criticism. He refused to respond to inquiries by The Sunday Times.
McDonald’s has been criticised by the Food Commission for targeting children with food that is high in salt, sugar and saturated fat. In America the company is facing lawsuits filed on behalf of a number of obese children who allege they were lured by the company’s enticing advertising.
Scotland’s poor diet has contributed to one of the world’s worst records for cancer, heart disease and strokes. Scots children are among the most obese in the world, with only Italy and Malta having a higher number of overweight youngsters.
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Last year Jack McConnell, the first minister, launched a £1.7m healthy eating initiative which he described as the “most sustained attack on the Scottish diet ever”. A report by the Commons health select committee earlier this month concluded that ministers had failed to address the nation’s weight problem. A white paper is expected to include proposals for a ban on junk food advertising during children’s television.
A spokesman for McDonald’s said the match was played in aid of Truce, a football charity which provides football equipment and coaching for children in war-torn countries.
“The trip was joint-funded by McDonald’s and the football teams. A dinner was hosted in the evening at which Sir Geoff Hurst, McDonald’s director of football, spoke of the ‘progress we are making with our commitment to create 10,000 community coaches by 2006’.”
A Labour spokesman said: “Members of all parties regularly participate in charity and sporting events. Ministers are committed to improving health in Scotland and will not be deflected from this important work.”