'No comment': Number 10 bats away £1m challenge for PM to go vegan for a month

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears to have declined a challenge from activists to go vegan for a month in exchange for a donation of £1m to the charity of his choice.

A spokesperson for Number 10 told BusinessGreen yesterday it had no comment on the Generation Vegan campaign, which was launched on 31 December and is calling on Sunak to adopt a plant-based diet for a month, joining the thousands of people taking part in the annual Veganuary initiative.

A letter sent to the Prime Minister and published in four national newspapers by the group argues that "adopting a plant-based diet is one of the best things we can do to champion British farmers and our countryside, while also meeting our emission reduction commitments and supporting public health".

In addition to the full-page newspaper adverts, Generation Vegan has launched a 'takeover' of Westminster Underground Station featuring thousands of campaign posters and billboards and comissioned a 25-foot mural in Shoreditch.

In her letter to the PM, Generation Vegan CEO Naomi Hallam said she looked forward to hearing Sunak's response to the group's "sincere offer" by 31 January.

However, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister declined to comment on the campaign.

Sunak, who does not eat beef as a practicing Hindu, has maintained the Conservative Party's historic reluctance to advocate for people to eat less meat and dairy, despite the shift to plant-based diets being seen as a key component of the drive to meet net zero emission targets and free up land for nature and more productive forms of agriculture.

The Climate Change Committee has calculated that UK meat consumption should fall between 20 and 50 per cent under its scenario for delivering net zero emissions by mid-century, while a government-comissioned National Food Strategy in 2021 recommended Ministers set a goal of a 30 per cent reduction in meat consumption over the next 10 years. The latter report noted that 85 per cent of UK farmland is used to feed livestock, despite meat making up just 32 per cent of the calories in British diets. 

"I'm not telling anyone to eat less meat."

Chancellor Rishi Sunak says there are "lots of different ways" to tackle climate change, noting the PM's net zero strategy and plans for a 'green industrial revolution'.

Read more: https://t.co/lR0FWfpQ3C #KayBurley pic.twitter.com/GCVpVk56My

— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 28, 2021

Speaking to Plant Based News, Hallam said: "It's important that we hold our leaders responsible for delivering the better future they continuously promise us. The UK Prime Minister has regularly spoken about the importance of showing compassion, and of safeguarding our planet for future generations. He already abstains from eating beef, so all we're asking of him is to extend his circle of compassion to other animals and to take the necessary steps towards protecting the planet for our children and grandchildren."

It is not the first time a world leader has been confronted with such a challenge. This the third 'million-dollar' campaign from Generation Vegan, following in the footsteps of unsuccessful appeals for Pope Francis and former US President Donald Trump to ditch animal-based products.