Ann Widdecombe tells struggling families to ditch cheese sandwiches during cost of living crisis

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Former minister of employment Ann Widdecombe has told families to ditch cheese sandwiches in a bid to save money amid the cost of living crisis.

Ann Widdecombe has been slammed by people across the UK for being ‘out of touch’ after she told families to ditch cheese sandwiches in a bid to save money. The former MP gave the condescending answer as she responded to being told the price of cheese sandwiches has risen by up to 101%.

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The 75-year-old was asked on BBC’s Politics Live: “What do you say to consumers who literally can’t afford to pay for even some of the basics if they have gone up the way that a cheese sandwich has?”

Widdecombe replied: “Well then you don’t do the cheese sandwich.

“Because we have been decades without inflation we have come to regard it as some sort of given right that our food doesn’t go up.”

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Following Ann’s comments, viewers flooded to Twitter to share their opinions. One tweeted: “Nice to know Ann Widdecombe cares about those who can’t afford luxuries like two slices of bread and a piece of cheese. Let’s make sure that she and her ilk get nowhere near government ever again.”

Another said: “Ann Widdecombe obviously thinks a cheese sandwich is the pinnacle of gastronomy. She’s so out of touch.”

Ann WiddecombeAnn Widdecombe
Ann Widdecombe | AFP via Getty Images

A third quote-tweeted BBC Politics’ clip of the discussion and wrote: “Why does Ann Widdecombe keep appearing on your politics programmes when she is so clearly out of touch?”

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Latest figures from Which? showed the cost of some cheese has soared by as much as 101%. In addition, recent BBC data revealed the cost of making a cheese sandwich at home has gone up by 37% to 40p a serving.

In May 2022, MP Lee Anderson, who claimed more than £200,000 in expenses, said struggling households “could make a meal for around 30p a day”. In the same month, Conservative Party member George Eustice said buying own-brand food products saves money.

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