Freedoms in Britain are declining at a faster rate than almost anywhere else in Europe, according to research which ranks the UK seventh in a ‘nanny state’ index.
Britain has moved four spots to become the seventh worst place in the continent to eat, drink, smoke and vape, according to the analysis.
Germany, Luxembourg and Italy were deemed the most liberal – while Turkey, Lithuania and Finland top the table for nannying.
The index, published by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the European Policy Information Centre (EPICENTER), scores countries on how they regulate lifestyle choices. Britain climbed the rankings due to high tobacco duty, the tax on sugary drinks and the indoor smoking ban. It has the ‘worst score for tobacco in the index’.
Other measures that count against it include alcohol duty, plain packaging rules for tobacco products, and new restrictions on product placement for ‘less healthy’ foods.
