Sadiq Khan has defended the removal of an advert for a West End theatre play from London’s transport network because it depicted a wedding cake.
The mayor said the poster breached Transport for London (TfL) rules, which seek to keep unhealthy foods from being displayed across the network.
But he faced criticism from Emma Best - deputy leader of the City Hall Conservatives - who said the decision seemed “totally bizarre”, and also at odds with his goal of promoting culture in London.
The advert was for Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding, a dinner comedy currently showing at the Wonderville Theatre on Haymarket. It features the title characters stood on top of a giant sponge-cake, filled with jam and cream and topped with icing.
The longest-running off-broadway show in history is coming to London for selected dates! Since 1984, audiences around the world have been captivated by Tony N' Tina's Wedding. More Details: https://t.co/mcQjbhMXTx pic.twitter.com/JZ01ksXKqV
— TheatreTicketsDirect (@ttdirect) July 19, 2023
It was removed because it was deemed to breach TfL’s policies in relation to the advertisement of foods that are “high in fat, salt and sugar”. The rules were introduced under Mr Khan with the aim of helping to reduce childhood obesity in the capital.
The issue was raised by Ms Best at a Mayor’s Question Time session on Thursday morning.
Mr Khan told the City Hall meeting that TfL works to apply the “rigourous” policy in a consistent way and that the Government-developed “nutrient profiling model” is used to decide which foods are acceptable to include on advertisements.
“All the evidence shows that the TfL policy works,” the mayor said, adding that peer-reviewed studies have shown it is contributing towards households making fewer unhealthy purchases and is saving the NHS money.
He said TfL is “always happy to work with brands to help them follow its advertising policy”.
Ms Best pointed out that the marketing department promoting the show had reportedly spent some £20,000 on the posters, and spent a further £5,000 on a new ad campaign with the cake removed from the image. She asked Mr Khan if he thought it was right that the original poster was banned.
The mayor replied: “If this particular theatre decided to print the adverts before they’d got confirmation [from TfL that the advert is compliant], then that’s clearly an issue for them, as the client.
“TfL is quite clear in relation to its policies and everyone else for the last few years appears to be following them.
“I’m obviously sorry for any finances lost by this theatre company - I’d suggest they speak to the company they used to make sure next time they get compliance confirmed before printing posters.”
Ms Best said she found it “strange” that she had seen adverts on her commute for Subway sandwiches, and she claimed that posters depicting chocolates and burgers can be found elsewhere on the network.
She told Mr Khan: “I’ve been on the Tube often, feeling peckish. I’ve never felt like I would like to devour a wedding cake. I’ve never seen an advert and thought ‘Actually, I think I’ll stop off and buy myself a wedding cake’.
“Do you not see that this seems totally bizarre, and against the principles of trying to promote culture in London?”
The mayor reiterated that TfL’s policy has “been well known for some years now” and that London’s theatres and live music venues are busy.
He said the policy helps deter children from pressuring their parents into buying them high-fat foods, to which Ms Best replied: “Yes, my children often ask me to stop off and buy them a wedding cake. It’s difficult.”
She added that Mr Khan was making a false comparison between an advert for a play and a fast food advert and she questioned whether the TfL policy was really reducing London’s childhood obesity.
The mayor admitted that “there is no one silver bullet” to address the issue, but said he was pursuing a number of other policies to tackle it, such as encouraging London schools to become ‘water only schools’ - where water, and some forms of milk, are the only drinks allowed.
