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| Ed Miliband under fire over '£70-a-week' shopping bill | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The Labour leader Ed Miliband has been accused of being “out of touch with reality” after he appeared not to know what he – or indeed the average British family – pays for their weekly shop. | The Labour leader Ed Miliband has been accused of being “out of touch with reality” after he appeared not to know what he – or indeed the average British family – pays for their weekly shop. |
| Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mr Miliband described how disconnected the country’s leadership is from ordinary people who, he said, feel Britain is run “for a few people at the top and not for them”. | Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mr Miliband described how disconnected the country’s leadership is from ordinary people who, he said, feel Britain is run “for a few people at the top and not for them”. |
| He said that Labour would make it a priority to tackle the cost-of-living crisis – yet appeared to struggle when pressed on how much he personally knows about “the actual cost of living for people”. | He said that Labour would make it a priority to tackle the cost-of-living crisis – yet appeared to struggle when pressed on how much he personally knows about “the actual cost of living for people”. |
| Asked if he knew what the average household grocery bill per week was for a family in the UK, Mr Miliband said: “Well, it depends how much you’re spending.” | Asked if he knew what the average household grocery bill per week was for a family in the UK, Mr Miliband said: “Well, it depends how much you’re spending.” |
| And on the subject of his own weekly shop, the party leader hesitated before saying: “We probably spend £70, £80 a week on groceries at least, probably more than that.” | And on the subject of his own weekly shop, the party leader hesitated before saying: “We probably spend £70, £80 a week on groceries at least, probably more than that.” |
| TV presenter Susannah Reid told him that the average bill for a family of four is actually more than £100, and said: “People will say one of the problems with politicians is they are actually talking about something but out of touch with the reality – and the reality is that it’s much higher than you have quoted.” | TV presenter Susannah Reid told him that the average bill for a family of four is actually more than £100, and said: “People will say one of the problems with politicians is they are actually talking about something but out of touch with the reality – and the reality is that it’s much higher than you have quoted.” |
| Mr Miliband then conceded that he did “probably pay more”, but added: “I am relatively comfortably off, but what I know is that there are deep issues that need to be tackled and we are determined to tackle them.” | Mr Miliband then conceded that he did “probably pay more”, but added: “I am relatively comfortably off, but what I know is that there are deep issues that need to be tackled and we are determined to tackle them.” |
| Yet after appearing to admit that his estimate had been wrong, in a radio appearance later this morning he said he had actually been referring just to “basic groceries”. | Yet after appearing to admit that his estimate had been wrong, in a radio appearance later this morning he said he had actually been referring just to “basic groceries”. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio Oxford, Mr Miliband said: “Well, I said this morning it was on the basic groceries, the basic fruit and vegetables, about £70 or £80 - the total shopping bill was slightly higher than that, obviously. | Speaking on BBC Radio Oxford, Mr Miliband said: “Well, I said this morning it was on the basic groceries, the basic fruit and vegetables, about £70 or £80 - the total shopping bill was slightly higher than that, obviously. |
| “On the basics, I was saying it was about £70 or £80 but the overall shopping bill would obviously be higher.” | “On the basics, I was saying it was about £70 or £80 but the overall shopping bill would obviously be higher.” |
| The comments were met with anger on Twitter, with one user asking: “Are you out of touch with the cost of living or just a sexist hubby who doesn’t shop @Ed_Miliband??” | The comments were met with anger on Twitter, with one user asking: “Are you out of touch with the cost of living or just a sexist hubby who doesn’t shop @Ed_Miliband??” |
| A Conservative source said: “It's the same old economic incompetence from the Labour Party that gave Britain the biggest peacetime deficit in history. | A Conservative source said: “It's the same old economic incompetence from the Labour Party that gave Britain the biggest peacetime deficit in history. |
| “They have no long-term plan to fix the economy and Ed Miliband can't even get the numbers right for his political gimmicks.” | “They have no long-term plan to fix the economy and Ed Miliband can't even get the numbers right for his political gimmicks.” |
| At the same time as many users of social media were criticising Mr Miliband for his TV appearance, a clip of the leader “looking natural” on the show also started to go viral. | At the same time as many users of social media were criticising Mr Miliband for his TV appearance, a clip of the leader “looking natural” on the show also started to go viral. |
| In 2012, the Tory backbencher Nadine Dorries criticised her own leadership when she described David Cameron and George Osborne as “two posh boys who don't know the price of milk”. | In 2012, the Tory backbencher Nadine Dorries criticised her own leadership when she described David Cameron and George Osborne as “two posh boys who don't know the price of milk”. |
| Last year, Mr Cameron said in a live interview that a loaf of budget supermarket bread cost “well north of a pound” – when at the time it was around 47p. | Last year, Mr Cameron said in a live interview that a loaf of budget supermarket bread cost “well north of a pound” – when at the time it was around 47p. |
| Nick Clegg was also accused of being out of touch shortly after being elected Liberal Democrat leader when he was wrong about the amount paid out for a state pension. | Nick Clegg was also accused of being out of touch shortly after being elected Liberal Democrat leader when he was wrong about the amount paid out for a state pension. |
| Challenged by a caller to a local ITV news show about how much pensioners received, the Lib Dem leader said he thought it was “about £30”. At the time the figure was £90.70 a week for a single person and £145.05 a week for a couple. | Challenged by a caller to a local ITV news show about how much pensioners received, the Lib Dem leader said he thought it was “about £30”. At the time the figure was £90.70 a week for a single person and £145.05 a week for a couple. |