Out Of Touch

SomeTories live in another planet. Benyon is correct most people waste food, and some advice on wrapping cheese may help. But coming from yet another Tory millionaire MP it looks patronising. Still at least he is laughing all the way to the bank with the tax cut for millionaires.

No mention here of the "two for one" supermarket deals, encouraging people to buy more than they need. The poorest in the country won't be wasting any food, they are struggling with fuel bills and will be making every purchase carefully. The more wealthy meanwhile could use advise but probably won't listen. While spending a pound on bottled water!


"Environment minister Richard Benyon, who stands to inherit a £110million fortune, said households were wasting money by throwing away “enormous amounts of food.”

http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/ has good advice.

The Mirror lays into him.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britains-richest-mp-richard-benyon-1855405

He said “careful fridge management” would help solve the crisis in living standards and suggested families should eat more leftovers.

Mr Benyon, the MP for Newbury, was named as the richest MP in the Times newspaper thanks to his family’s vast Englefield Estate.

He told families were wasting £50 a month on average by throwing away food. “Food wasted means fewer pounds in our pocket.

"Household bills are squeezed at the moment and we have the opportunity through a variety of different agencies to inform people better about where their food comes from and how to use it most economically.

“Keeping most fruit in the fridge in its packaging can keep it fresher for a week or more, but around 60% of us take fruit out of the packaging, and more than 70% of us do not store it in the fridge.

Re-closing packs of cheese and sliced meats helps to stop them drying out in the fridge, but 13% of us apparently store such food unwrapped in the fridge,” he said.

David Cameron admitted Mr Benyon’s words did “not look good” and suggested the minister had been misquoted.

“What happened yesterday was there was a debate in Westminster on the issue of food waste and as the minister responsible he was responsible for giving an answer on issues to do with food waste and supermarket packaging,” he said

Stephen McPartland, the Conservative MP for Stevenage, said: “I don’t think it is right for the Government to preach to people who choose to purchase food and use that food.

“Nobody likes waste and families on low incomes often buy in bulk because it can be cheaper.

"No one in those families are wasting food intentionally.”