Gordon Brown in Shock Diet Change

The Independant 1-4-09

We can exclusively reveal this morning that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced his conversion to veganism. The government will also be taking a series of bold steps to deal with the environmental threat posed by the consumption of meat and dairy products.

On the eve of the G20 summit, Gordon Brown intends to send a clear message to other world leaders by disclosing the lengths he and the Labour government are prepared to go to in order to tackle climate change.

Gordon Brown said yesterday, "I can no longer justify my consumption of animal products. After alot of consideration over recent months, I`ve decided that taking direct action in this way is vital, in order to limit my personal impact on the planet. When you consider that livestock cause more climate gasses than all of the world`s transport it`s a no brainer to be honest. I love my steaks but giving them up is a small price to pay in order to save the planet."

"The government now intends to make up for lost time on this issue. We are considering what steps we can take and it looks likely they will include a system of meat/dairy rationing and a new `farm to fork` environmental impact labelling system for all food products, so that consumers can make an informed choice. Parliament will from now on enjoy weekly `meat-free Mondays` in our canteens and we will work towards enforcing this in all government buildings."

"The global financial crisis is obviously the primary reason for the G20 meeting this week, but I will be raising the issue of diet where appropriate and I`m optimistic that we can come to an agreement to begin to tackle this critical issue globally."

"I would like to take this opportunity to advise people here in the UK that they can make a real difference to the future well being of their children simply by changing their diet. The government will of course do what we can to reduce the devastation caused by the animal farming industries, but the easiest way of dealing with the problem is simply for all of you reading this to start cutting meat and dairy from your diet."

A number of environmental organisations have already congratulated Gordon Brown on his positive step towards truly sustainable living.

Mark Hughes of Friends of the Earth commented, "Adopting a vegan diet is probably the single most effective action an individual can take to reduce their environmental footprint. Whilst most people are now aware that if they want to be eco-friendly, they should recycle, switch to renewable energy, use public transport etc, many people do not realise that the adoption of plant based diets is equally if not more important."

"We hope that Gordon Brown`s decision to go public with his new green lifestyle choice, will result in many more people following suit, by switching to a truly sustainable vegan diet."

Anyone wanting more information about the environmental benefits of vegan lifestyles should see the Vegan Society website  http://www.vegansociety.com