Wes Streeting
Published December 4, 2025 12:01am
Updated December 4, 2025 6:10am
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Writing for Metro, the Health Secretary says that the desire to do what’s right for your child should never be exploited. (Picture: Getty)
I was raised in an east London council flat by an amazing mum who did all she could to feed, clothe and keep me safe.
Money was hard to come by. I know she struggled to balance my health and happiness with what she could afford.
It was a challenge made even harder when seemingly better options were often the more expensive ones. It’s a situation which shamefully persists for many today.
Take baby formula. Those who choose not to or cannot breastfeed their babies want to provide them proper nutrition for the best possible start in life.
For too long, they have been pushed towards more expensive brands on the shelf – often swayed by “health” claims they have no time to verify, spurred by guilt that choosing cheaper products means choosing second best.
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The desire to do what’s right for your child should never be exploited.
This manufactured pressure paints a false picture, leaving many families paying more than they should at a time when every pound matters.
I want parents to know this: all baby formula sold in the UK meets strict nutritional standards.
The NHS has confirmed that every product on the shelf is safe, regulated, and fully meets the nutritional needs of babies.
Metro and Feed took their Formula For Change petition to No 10 with LadBaby and Chris Webb MP (Picture: Belinda Jiao)
Credit where credit’s due to Metro and its Formula For Change campaign in partnership with the charity Feed, which has thrown much needed light on this issue and worked hard for two years to make infant formula accessible for all.
No family should feel guilt for choosing what is affordable. That’s why this government is bringing in measures to make sure baby formula is displayed in a way that helps families choose the lower price formula that is right for them.
Working with public health experts, health services and industry, we’ll make sure families get unambiguous, trustworthy information to make confident feeding decisions.
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Previous Page Next PageThe fruits of that labour: up to £500 a year in savings for parents.
We will also seek ways to make it easier for cash equivalent coupons, loyalty points, and vouchers to be redeemed online or at the till, putting money back in your pocket.
Of course, these costs are only one part of a much bigger picture.
Across the country, hardworking families are doing everything right yet still struggle to provide the basics.
‘This is about giving children the healthiest start in life’ (Picture: Getty Images)
Nearly three in four children growing up in poverty today live in a working household.
This government will do all it can to end child poverty.
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Through our Child Poverty Strategy, we’ll take action to drive down the cost of essentials, boost family incomes, and rebuild services that support parents and children.
We’ve scrapped the two-child limit, lifting 450,000 children out of poverty, expanded free school meals and breakfast clubs, raised the minimum wage, and invested in family hubs and early years support.
We will never look the other way while parents struggle.
This is about giving children the healthiest start in life and parents the power to care for their family without breaking the bank.
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