Lee Anderson accused of using staff member as ‘politicial football’ in foodbanks row

Conservative MP Lee Anderson has been accused by Labour of “harassing” his own staff member and using her as a political football in a row over food bank use.

The Tory MP has repeatedly attracted controversy on the subject after he claimed that poor people only food banks them because “cannot budget”.

Mr Anderson shared a photo of a office staff member called Katy to make his point – saying she earned less than £30,000 and did not need to use a food bank. “Katy makes my point really well.”

But Labour MP Dawn Butler said the tweet was “a form bullying and harassment”, urging the Ashfield MP to delete his message and revealing that she was reporting him to the Commons authorities.

“Whether Katy agreed to this, it is unacceptable to use a young female employee this way,” the Labour backbencher tweeted.

Ms Butler added: “I will also be writing to the House of Commons authorities to stress that this is a very dangerous political strategy.”

Mr Anderson had earlier defended fellow Tory MP Simon Clarke after he had questioned why nurses on £35,000 a year are using food banks during a radio interview.

Mr Clarke told nurses “something is wrong with your budgeting” if they are relying on handouts – remarks “disgusting, heartless and out of touch” by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

“The point here is that ANYONE (not just nurses) earning *MORE* than 30k, and are using foodbanks must have a budgeting problem,” Mr Anderson tweeted.

He added: “I have constituents i.e. armed forces, bin men, bar staff, care workers, bus drivers, pensioners etc who can all live on less. Am I missing something?”

Mr Anderson said his staff member “earns less than 30k, rents a room for £775pcm in central London, has student debt, £120 a month on travelling to work saves money every month, goes on foreign holidays” without using food banks.

Lib Dem MP Jamie Stone who said the tweet was “in seriously bad taste and is an awful way to admit that you don’t pay your staff enough”, adding: “I have never, and would never, use my staff as a political football.”

Mr Clarke sparked the row after he said £35,000 is the median nurse’s salary, and added: “I don’t believe people on an average salary of £35,000 a year need to be using food banks.”

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said: “To criticise anybody using a food bank is disgusting, heartless and dangerously out of touch.

“I have toured the length and breadth of this country and met nursing staff from every corner of the nation – and their fear and fright about not being able to meet their bills is palpable.”