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Labour has been accused of introducing a “nanny state” after recommending birthday cakes are banned from primary schools and nurseries. New guidance issued by the Department of Education encourages parents to opt for healthy options rather than sweets or cake to celebrate their child’s birthday.

Parents and the Conservatives have both criticised the nutrition guidance which reportedly came into effect this term. The advice from the Department of Education’s Education’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) purportedly tells primary schools and nurseries to promote “healthy eating habits”. It comes after an NHS survey published last year found around one in eight children aged between two and 10 in England are obese.

The new guidance suggests parents bring in fruit platters or non-edible options like bubble kits or stickers to celebrate their youngster’s birthday, according to The Telegraph, which broke the story.

Shadow Health Secretary Stuart Andrew told the broadsheet Labour “seems more focused on performative, petty policies” rather than “addressing the real challenges facing the NHS”.

“Families don’t need the state policing party food, they need leadership that takes public health seriously and only the Conservatives can deliver that,” he said.

One primary school told parents this week it was following the new guidance.

“We are not allowed to give children birthday cake or sweet treats any more due to guidance around healthy eating,” it said in its communication to parents, seen by The Telegraph.

Parents were reportedly advised to bring in bubbles, stickers of fruit as outlined in the guidance, or a book. Debating the decision online, one mother said she would be “fuming” if her children’s nursery did the same.

She wrote: “We need to educate parents and children in healthy eating but forbidding cake and sweets is beyond your pay grade. They go through kids lunch boxes now and confiscate what they deem to be unhealthy. We are becoming a nanny state.”

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of ushering in a “nanny state” during his time in Number 10.

The introduction of the Online Safety Act and plans to phase out smoking and ban energy drink sales to children under the age of 16 are among the moves to have been criticised.