Ann Widdecombe, a former MEP for the Brexit Party who recently joined Reform UK, has voiced her opinion on the ‘affordability’ of cheese sandwiches.
Widdecombe argues that individuals should not make cheese sandwiches if they cannot afford the necessary ingredients. She emphasised that low food prices are not an entitlement, especially in light of current double-digit inflation rates.
Widdecombe’s remarks came during a discussion on BBC research revealing a 33% increase in the cost of homemade cheese sandwiches over the past year, amounting to 40p. When asked about her message to consumers who struggle to afford basic items like a cheese sandwich, Widdecombe bluntly stated, “Well, then you don’t make the cheese sandwich.”
During her time as a Conservative MP representing Maidstone, a rural constituency, Widdecombe recalls receiving frequent complaints from farmers regarding supermarket pricing and rising costs. She believes that addressing this issue requires a reduction in inflation. Widdecombe asserts that inflation will not decrease if there continue to be inflationary wage hikes and emphasizes the need for a mature perspective, recognizing that this is not solely a problem unique to the UK.
When challenged by Rachel Cunliffe, a journalist from the New Statesman, on the growing difficulty families face in affording basic necessities, resulting in insufficient food for their children, Widdecombe replied, “None of it is new. We have faced these challenges before. The problem is that we have grown accustomed to decades without inflation, and we have come to view it as an entitlement.”
In another panel appearance, Widdecombe suggested that the thousands of people currently claiming unemployment benefits should be compelled to fill labor shortages in fruit picking. She argued that although some individuals may be unfit for such work, it is concerning to have 1.2 million people receiving unemployment benefits. She stressed that if individuals are receiving public money, their willingness to contribute should not be a determining factor, stating, “I think you should be made to pick.”
Earlier this week, Home Secretary Suella Braverman expressed the belief that there is “no good reason” why Britain cannot train enough fruit pickers to fulfill a 2019 manifesto pledge aimed at reducing reliance on low-skilled foreign labor.
Widdecombe’s decision to join Richard Tice’s Reform UK party in March was influenced by her dissatisfaction with Rishi Sunak’s revised Brexit deal with the European Union. At a conference, she expressed her feeling of being politically homeless for a significant period and voiced concerns about the Conservative Party no longer embodying true conservatism.
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