Best reactions as image of tampon labelled ‘obscene’

From yesterday period products are now no longer classed as “luxury, non-essential items” and taxed at 5 per cent.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak promised to axe the tampon tax in March’s budget – with VAT on sanitary products now cut to zero.

Felicia Willow, chief executive of women’s rights charity the Fawcett Society, said: “We warmly welcome the scrapping of VAT on all sanitary products from January 1 2021 and congratulate the government on taking this positive step.

“It’s been a long road to reach this point, but at last the sexist tax that saw sanitary products classed as non-essential, luxury items can be consigned to the history books.”

It has been claimed as a ‘Brexit win’

I'm delighted after years of fighting for it we have axed the hated #TamponTax https://t.co/nBFnjlNn4s

— Rt Hon Steve Baker MP FRSA 🗽 (@SteveBakerFRSA) January 1, 2021

However, he didn’t vote for it in 2015 when it was debated in the Commons. The motion, brought by Labour, was defeated by 305 votes to 287 with just three Conservative MPs rebelling against the whips.

Why didn’t you axe the tampon tax in Parliament in 2015 when you had the chance, Mr Baker?https://t.co/5IVetMV14Z

— Huw Peach 💙 #FBPE #ClimateActionNow (@HuwpHuw) January 1, 2021

Ok so Brexit arguing aside, everyone is pretty happy about it?

Well, sort of.

The Government Tweeted out that the tax had been abolished, using an image of a tampon to depict it. Seems a pretty obvious pic to use for the announcement, right?

Journalist Adam Garrie tweeted: “Good policy but is this obscene image really necessary?”

https://twitter.com/adamgarriereal/status/1345135251190935552

His explanation is something to behold.

There have been a lot of reactions on social media to his comments.

Here goes…

1.

What’s obscene about an illustration of an unused tampon?! What is obscene, however, is the number of women and girls who live in period poverty and can not afford them. We’re not talking third world here; it’s a real thing in the UK. Picture that.

— Running Late (@runninglate101) January 2, 2021

2.

If you find a drawing of a tampon obscene but have no problem looking at photos of toilet paper your concern is not public decency, it’s misogyny.

— Kate van Hooft (@vanhooftwrites) January 2, 2021

3.

https://twitter.com/DylanReeve/status/1345284214237794304

4.

If you think tampons are obscene, wait till you hear about mooncups. pic.twitter.com/Qeo36h3aK6

— Catriona MacLeod (@ThatCatMacLeod) January 2, 2021

5.

The guy who finds a picture of a tampon 'obscene' is an early contender for 'wtf tweet of the year 2021'.

— Pete Wharmby (@commaficionado) January 2, 2021

6.

I am so thrilled with the idea of that man complaining about "obscene images" forever being known as "the tampon man".

— Carrie Dunn (@carriesparkle) January 2, 2021

7.

Obscene? It’s a cartoon of a tampon. It’s not going to bite you. Chill.

— Rebecca Rideal (@RebeccaRideal) January 2, 2021

8.

Wait until he finds out about this stuff… pic.twitter.com/5qBwidQSLb

— Rebecca Rideal (@RebeccaRideal) January 2, 2021

9.

https://twitter.com/say_shannon/status/1345325141241307136

Related: Student spent last of her student loan buying sanitary pads and tampons to tackle period poverty