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to think ed milliband is lying about spending 70-80 a week on food

171 replies

sazham2 · 20/05/2014 09:56

No way does someone that is a millionaire and earns about 7-8k a week with a family of 4 spend 70-80.

In touch Ed claimed that his family of four spent “probably £70, £80 a week on groceries a week, probably more than that” when hijacked with the perfectly reasonable question on ITV’s Good Morning Britain:

order-order.com/2014/05/20/mili-onaire-eds-cost-of-living-crisis/

OP posts:
thecatfromjapan · 20/05/2014 10:26

I think we should all be grown up enough to accept that leaders of political parties probably don't do the shopping/accounts.

Then we could avoid this ridiculous situation where we collude in a fantasy of our major politicians actually being in some sort of "just like us" fantasy: David Cameron, his high-flying wife and the missing nanny, personal assistants and housekeepers that keep it ticking over. Asking Ed Milliband about the food part of the household income.

It's silly.

No. They are not "like" us - who could be "like" everyone in the UK? But we can, legitimately, demand that they represent "our" interests - whatever they might be.

David Cameron is not my political cup of tea but, actually, I don't much care if he is "like" me, or not. I despise the stupid photos where he has to pretend to be a "man of the people". Likewise Ed Milliband.

So that, above, is my more considered opinion. But in the short term, I think the P.R. people might be advised to get Ed to avoid stuff like that. It would be nice if he could play the: "I'm a serious, caring politician" card instead.

I do feel quite sorry for them. We do have some ridiculous notions of what politicians are supposed to "be".

PartialFancy · 20/05/2014 10:27

Cleaning products aren't food...

These threads are always a bit confused.

Some people give their weekly food shop bill, some their whole weekly shop bill, and some their weekly food total including canteen, etc meals.

Then on the threads suggesting vouchers, people have to be reminded that food isn't the only essential they buy in the weekly shop.

TheWordFactory · 20/05/2014 10:31

Basically, he doesn't know!

He took a punt and made himself look daft. I suspect he hasn't stepped a foot in Tesco since 1982.

thecatfromjapan · 20/05/2014 10:33

I agree with you, Fluffycloudland, this is probably what his aides suggested. Personally, I wish they had gone for a different line.

QuizzicalCat - I also agree with you: it's a tough ball to play.

However, I, for one, and really, really sick of this pretense-of-being-ordinary which is - seemingly - thrust upon contemporary political leaders.

Are the UK voters really so stupid that we need this?

KellyElly · 20/05/2014 10:40

70-80 a week just on food is quite possible. If he's including cleaning products, washing powder, loo roll, alcohol and shampoo, conditioner etc in that (which most people pick up from the supermarket), then there's no way the bill comes to that. If he's just calculating the food then possibly that's true. They are certainly not cooking tuna steaks, salmon fillet, organic free range meat, lots of fresh fruit and veg etc each day on that budget though as that works out £2.50 per day per person.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 20/05/2014 10:40

Well there are six of us, 5 adults, I cook from scratch, we eat lots of meat and fruit. it comes to about £120 a week from Tesco. That includes lunches, cleaning stuff and toiletries. We have a good income, could spend more if we needed to but that's what it comes to

OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 20/05/2014 10:41

So he said, when put on the spot, that they spent 70-80 per week, probably more than that. So how long is a piece of string? If they all trundle round Waitrose once a week and throw everything they want in the trolley, what does that cost? 150-200? as a complete guess.

He (and his DW too?) are professionals working long hours in highly paid jobs. I would expect that they have some help at home and perhaps do something like have a regular Ocado order to keep the fridge full. There's probably a lot of eating out for lunches and functions. May be they have someone who goes and picks up bits from a local supermarket once or twice a week and that is genuinely what it costs? As well as being leader of the Labour Party, Ed Milliband, is a normal person with a normal household and will have a personal bank account that someone will need to keep an eye on. Perhaps he does that himself?

You can only eat so much food, Just because he earns 400k per year, doesn't mean they spend 10x as much on food as someone who earns 40k per year does it?

It's perfectly possible to feed a family of 4 very well on 70 to 80 per week. OK, that amount of money won't pay for the trundle round waitrose with no restrictions on what you want, but it will pay for sufficient meat, fruit and veg etc for a healthy diet, providing that there is an element of cooking from scratch (which is cheaper, despite many people refusing to believe this) and use of seasonal foods. There are plenty of people to whom 70-80 per week for a family of four would be a fortune.

The real avoidable expenses in the grocery shop are things like fresh fish, out of season fruit, branded cleaners for lots of different purposes, posh ready meals and alcohol.

There will be a huge amount of variation in spends on these items, from next to nothing, to tens of pounds a week or more, and not one of them are essential for a healthy diet of quality food.

Lanabelle · 20/05/2014 10:41

Lets be honest - if anyone asked their husbands or partners how much the shopping cost could they answer it correctly? Does anyone think he actually does a weekly shop? or is it more likely that he leaves it to his other half like most of the husbands and partners I know? I am aware that this will be shot down for being sexist/ against feminism etc but in the real world for most people I know this is how it works. If I need to do the shopping, I tell dh who gives me his bank card and I go shopping, would he notice £50 over or under?? no, not at all

SpicyPear · 20/05/2014 10:43

thecat I like your analysis. I want my politicians to be able to empathise with all different types of person. I do not want them to be some sort of middle of the road everyman. I do not give a flying fuck how much they spend on groceries or what they eat as lo get as they are able to put themselves in the shoes of people from a range of income brackets and govern as best they can in our interests.

BlackeyedSusan · 20/05/2014 10:45

well, I only spend about £40 for a family of three, but that does not include loo rolls and cleaning stuff, clothes suncream etc. Sounds credible to me. depends on what they eat, how healthy they are, whether they eat a lot of meat, whether children have school lunches etc.

bleedingheart · 20/05/2014 10:46

thecatfromjapan I totally agree! It is so ridiculous to try and perpetuate this 'man of the people' nonsense.

Of course politicians need to be aware of the struggles people face and work on the solutions but I don't for a second think Milliband does his own shopping or Cameron for that matter.

Have they not learnt from Brown? People would much rather have a serious politician than one who pretends to be concerned with fripperies.

That said, Cameron does a great impression of someone no deeper than a petri dish.

CharmQuark · 20/05/2014 10:52

"Plus they live in London. Not exactly an area known for being cheap to live in."

Actually I find the supermarkets in London far cheaper to shop in than th small shops and small chains like Budgen in small market and regional towns. I am horrified at the cost of food in the shops when I visit my Mum.

Who knows how much the Millibands spend - it may or may not be £70-80 pw, but it is perfectly managable to feed a family of 4 for that a week. (excl wine, dog or cat food, nappies, cigarettes, expensive ready-meals)

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 20/05/2014 10:53

Are his lips moving? No brainer then. Grin

SaucyJack · 20/05/2014 11:05

Lanabelle

His wife is a lawyer and actually earns more than he does........ I highly doubt she has to ask for his bank card to go and do the "big shop" at Asda.

Agree with all of those who think he's made himself look stupid and out of touch. £2.50 per person, per day on food when they earn £400k between them? Not buying it.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 20/05/2014 11:07

I'm no fan of Ed but suspect Mrs Ed would have listened to that broadcast and rolled her eyes. I'm thinking that he probably doesn't go shopping that often....

mijas99 · 20/05/2014 11:08

I haven't got a clue how much we spend on food a week. It is easy if you only shop at one supermarket once a week, but we don't

I guess some weeks we spend 30 euros and other weeks 300 euros. I have no idea what the average is

LuisSuarezTeeth · 20/05/2014 11:08

I don't think poor Ed knew quite what to do with all those legs.

Bramshott · 20/05/2014 11:10

I imagine he's probably telling the truth. How many meals do you think they eat at home all together in a week?? Very few I'd guess.

eurochick · 20/05/2014 11:10

I suspect he didn't have a clue and came up with a number from when he last did his own food shopping in his early 20s. There is no cocking way his family spends so little. He's just made himself look massively out of touch.

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/05/2014 11:12

There's a website but I forgot the name of it. You can go and read all their expense claims going back years. I was horrified at both millibars and my local mps.

Milliband s were claiming gas, electric, food and even TV licence. A local labour one had claimed 75 GRAND.

Ronmione · 20/05/2014 11:14

But if you take out all the free meals he claims expensives for he probably does only spent £80 of his own money.

bleedingheart · 20/05/2014 11:15

All of his aides will be hastily pulling together a plausible £80 shopping list now.

I would love to see politicians answer a question without that 10 second pause where you see the terror in their eyes while they think of an answer to be all things to all people!

MaoamMuncher · 20/05/2014 11:16

He might not be lying, my sis and bil have a massive income yet they'd see a 20 shop as excessive. I've witnessed them buy one carrot ffs........if bil could by 1 clove of garlic at a time he would Wink

ILoveCoreyHaim · 20/05/2014 11:17

Here's the website I used.

www.parliamentary-standards.org.uk/Default.aspx

bleedingheart · 20/05/2014 11:21

It would have been better if he'd said' £70-80 per week but of course we often eat on the hoof and spend more. I'm sure everyone has seen the increase whether they can accommodate it or

Let the fear go, let journalists shred you but reach out and connect with people with honesty and sincerity.