MP food bank row: Lee Anderson wants to 'educate people'

An MP at the centre of a controversy over the use of food bank has defended his comments.

Lee Anderson, Conservative MP for Ashfield, said in the House of Commons on Wednesday that meals could be cooked for as little as 30p a day.

Some branded the comments "shameful" and accused him of being "out of touch", though others backed him.

But Mr Anderson was defiant, saying he was trying to "educate people" to make their lives "a little easier".

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "It wasn't my intention [to start a row] but I am glad the debate is out in the open.

"I see people on a weekly basis who are struggling with the cost of living crisis, struggling with their fuel bills and their food bills.

"The good news is that we have a fantastic food bank in Sutton-in-Ashfield that is stepping up and helping people with budgeting and cooking skills.

"We proved a point a couple of months back; we did a cooking exercise in Sutton, at the food bank, at the college with a local chef.

"He put a challenge out to feed a family of five for £50 a week.

"I didn't believe him so we went to the food bank, we had a session there, and he beat the challenge; he produced something like 170, 180 meals for £50 - it was phenomenal.

"There was piles and piles of food and I thought: 'My goodness, people need to learn this.'"

When challenged that not everyone had the kitchen or storage space to make so many meals at once, Mr Anderson said: "The idea was to teach people about batch cooking.

"Batch cooking is much cheaper; people can make meals for the week and then freeze them.

"The point is people can batch cook, save a little bit of money, they can have nutritious meals every day and that money can be in their pocket and spent on something else, like rising fuel bills.

"We are trying to educate people, trying to teach them the cooking skills and the budgeting skills, so their lives are a little bit easier.

"So what is wrong with that?"

He acknowledged that justice minister Victoria Atkins has said his comments were "not right".

Mr Anderson said: "They said it was not government policy.

"But helping people feed themselves, to budget properly, to cook - if that is not government policy I hope it soon will be."

He also rejected suggestions he was "out of touch", saying he was born and bred locally, with a father who was a miner and mother who worked in a factory.

When asked what he was having for dinner, he said: "I've had a sandwich."

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