Max 22C min 7C Friday July 15 2016 | thetimes.co.uk | No 71963 Only 80p to subscribers £1.40 BRICKS The best places to Britain’s top 25 &MORTAR PROPERTY small museums PULLOUT find a holiday home Times2 Junk foodban May axes Cameron allies dropped after ministers bow in ruthless cabinet cull to lobbyists Gove, Morgan and Letwin sacked as state-educated ministers dominate top team Chris Smyth Health Editor DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES The fight against child obesity has been Francis Elliott Political Editor half a century. The one Old Etonian, left in the hands of food companies in a Sam Coates, Lucy Fisher Boris Johnson, endureda difficult debut watering down of ministers’ promises as foreign secretary when he was booed after lobbying by the industry. Theresa May scythed through David during his first engagement, a Bastille Manufacturers will not be forced to Cameron’s allies in a bloody cull that Day reception at the French embassy. make products healthier and no con- consigned nine members of his former Mr Johnson, Brexit’s most powerful crete measures to curb marketing of cabinet to the back benches yesterday. advocate, was brandeda liar and a “bor- unhealthyproductshave beenincluded In a purge more brutal than Harold derline racist” by EU ministers and dip- in a long-delayed blueprint on tackling Macmillan’s “night of the long knives” lomats. France’s foreign minister, Jean- obesity. in 1962, Michael Gove, the justice sec- Marc Ayrault, said that Mr Johnson A ban on junk food at shop checkouts retary; Nicky Morgan, the education had told “lies” during the EU referen- has been dropped and an end to adver- secretary; John Whittingdale, the cul- dum campaign while Frank-Walter tisements for unhealthy food before the ture secretary; and Oliver Letwin, the Steinmeier, his German counterpart, 9pm watershed has not been included cabinet office minister, joined George called the former mayor of London’s in leaked drafts seen by The Times. Osborne in being sacked. behaviour before the vote “monstrous”. Jeremy Hunt, who kept his job as In their place Mrs May appointed a “To be honest, I find this outrageous,” health secretary yesterday, faces a top team with the smallest number of he said of Mr Johnson’s appointment. battle with his new cabinet colleagues privately educated ministers since the “It’s not just bitter for Great Britain. It’s to “put the teeth back” in the plan, end of the Second World War as she put also bitter for the EU.” which was due to be published next substance behind her One Nation Mr Johnson tried to brush off the week after wrangling between the rhetoric. reaction. “After a vote like the referen- culture and business departments as TheprimeministerwillvisitScotland dum result on June 23, it is inevitable well as No 10. today to confront the demands for a there is going to be a certain amount of The documents show how pledges of second independence referendum that plaster coming off the ceiling in the strict action were removed from the have increased since the decision to chancelleries of Europe,” he said, add- strategy amid industry pressure and leave the European Union, which was ing that he had received a “charming the distraction of the EU referendum. opposed by most Scots. Speaking letter” from Mr Ayrault. Companies will now simply be “chal- before talks with Nicola Sturgeon, the Another of Mrs May’s new cabinet, lenged” and “consulted” over their first minister, Mrs May underlined her Andrea Leadsom, also faces questions. pushing of unhealthy food, they sug- “commitment to preserving this special It can be revealed that she said it would gest. Health experts condemned the union that has endured for centuries”. be “sensible” not to appoint a man to move as “business as usual” that would “I believe with all my heart in the look after young children because of fail to stem the obesity epidemic. United Kingdom — the precious bond the danger they might be a paedophile. Already a third of children are too fat between England, Scotland, Wales and Mrs Leadsom, who was given the by the time they leave primary school. Northern Ireland,” she said. Mrs May environment and rural affairs brief, Senior doctors said that without a will also visit Ruth Davidson, the Scot- made the comments last Friday while tougher strategy children would be tish Conservative leader. she was still running for the leadership. condemned to a lifetime of illness The sweeping changes left just four During the same interview she said that ranging from heart disease to cancer. full members of the cabinet ending the being a mother gave her a “very real Sources in the Department of Health day in the same jobs. Five cabinet stake” in the future of the country, caus- emphasised that they hoped to per- ministers were sacked and four re- ing a furore that forced her to withdraw suadethenewcabinetto strengthenthe signed. Mrs May rewarded allies and from the race. plan, even at the cost of delaying it until ministers who served under her as Today The Times reveals that in a after the summer. home secretary. discussion of the challenges faced by Action against child obesity was Patrick McLoughlin, the former parents seeking childcare she also said: promised in the Conservative mani- miner who became Tory party chair- “As an employer we’re not — let’s face festo last year and Mr Hunt said that it man yesterday, led a charge of blue- it — most of us don’t employ men as would be “draconian”. A clampdown on collar Conservatives that included nannies, most of us don’t. Now you can junk food advertising and forcing food promotions for Greg Clark as the head call that sexist, I call that cautious and companies to take sugar out of their of a new department of business, verysensible when you look at the stats. products were singled out as priorities energy and industrial strategy. Your odds are stacked against you if you by advisers at Public Health England. Justine Greening becomes the first employ a man. We know paedophiles However, specific measures to re- education secretary to have had all her are attracted to working with children. strict promotions, such as buy-one-get- secondary education at a comprehen- I’m sorry but they’re the facts.” one-free deals on unhealthy snacks, sive. Just five of Mrs May’s new cabinet, Meanwhile it emerged last night that were blocked by other Whitehall de- or 30per cent, were privately educated Mr Cameron tore up the rulebook on Boris Johnson at the French embassy in London last night. He was heckled by partments, it is understood. Instead — the lowest proportion for more than Continued on page 4, col 1 guests when he tried to offer reassurances that Britain “was not leaving Europe” Continued on page 2, col 3 IN THE NEWS Bank signals rate cut Lynx spoils big day Men reject university US offer to Putin ‘Curse’ at the Open Household finances are A couple due to be married at The number of men applying John Kerry, the US secretary Phil Mickelson led the Open threatened by a significant Dartmoor zoo have been told for university courses this of state, has offered President last night but blamed a golf slowdown in the economy, the to keep the noise down during autumn has fallen for the first Putin the possibility of joint “curse” after he came within Bank of England warned as it their reception to avoid time in five years, raising fears military action in Syria in half an inch of the greatest signalled a cut in interest rates scaring a lynx that escaped on over a widening gender gap return for Moscow backing a round in major championship next month. Pages 2 and 39 to nearby farmland. Page 3 on campuses. Page 13 wider peace deal. Page 32 history. Pages 68-71, 76 2 1GM Friday July 15 2016 | the times News Visit our upgraded Brexit blow to family finances smartphone app and website will be significant, says Bank The latest news, comment and Philip Aldrick Economics Editor both years. Many economists now ex- be built each year to tackle the “acute” pect GDP growth to fall below 1 per housing crisis. analysis of Brexit House prices and family finances are cent in 2017 and unemployment to rise. The government’s target of one under threat from a “significant” slow- The Bank said yesterday: “The un- million homes by 2020 needs to be down in the economy after Brexit, the certainty flowing from the referendum lifted by 50 per cent to meet a growing INSIDE TODAY Bank of England warned yesterday as it result was likely to depress economic elderly population and rising demand, preparedforaninterest ratecutinthree activity in the near term.” it will say. Although the government weeks’ time. It blamed its gloomy outlook in part has set a target of 200,000 a year, last Sister act Ben Macintyre The Bank voted eight to one to leave on a forecast squeeze in house prices year only 142,000 were built. rates on hold at 0.5 per cent this month and household income. In May it had The committee will call for new The all-girl Ghostbusters Remote-controlled but said “most members of the [rate- expected prices to grow about 6.5 per freedoms for local councils and hous- provide a rollocking policemen are heading setting] committee expect monetary cent this year and incomes, after infla- ing associations to kickstart building reboot of the original for our streets policy to be loosened in August”.