Shop Till You Drop
Politicians always make themselves look silly when they get into this 'man of the people'' routine and Ed Miliband proved to be no exception when his venture on to breakfast TV ended disastrously with the Labour leader's suggestion that he spends only £70 per week on the family grocery bill.
Now Ed lives in a £2.5 million house in an expensive part of London which is not a problem for a Labour leader these days because the UK's political leaders are all drawn from relatively well off backgrounds and they have all done very well out of politics.
But trying to pass himself off as something he's not was a big mistake by the Labour leader, as this article from The Times points out the error of his ways.
Miliband caught out over price of his grocery bill
By Michael Savage, Matt Dathan - The Times
Ed Miliband claimed today that his family’s grocery bill amounted to just £70 a week -only to face derision when it transpired that he regularly spends £2.25 on a single loaf of bread.
The Labour leader has framed his party’s campaign ahead of Thursday’s European and local elections around a pledge to tackle the “cost of living crisis” hitting family budgets.
However, he appeared to offer a considerable underestimate of his own shopping, suggesting on ITV’s Good Morning Britain that the bill for his family of four was between £70 and £80, well below the national average.
“We probably spend £70, £80 a week on groceries at least, probably more than that,” he said. “The point is that different families will have different costs that they face, but what I am clear about is that there is a crisis facing so many people.”
He was told the average bill for a family of four is “significantly more”. According to official 2012 figures, the average weekly spend on food and drink was £113.12 for a family of four, rising to £165.48 when eating out was included.
“Lots of people are facing a real struggle,” he said. “I am relatively comfortably off, but what I know is that there are deep issues that need to be tackled.”
Mr Miliband has spoken of being partial to tuna and cheese on toast after arriving home late, yet the price of bread from his local delicatessen suggests this is a less down-to-earth snack than it seems.
Locals near Mr Miliband’s north London home revealed that he was often seen popping into the nearby Truffles deli to buy a £2 cappuccino, a £2.25 loaf of bread and sometimes a £1 croissant.
He visits Continental Provision Stores to get groceries on Saturdays and Sundays, mainly buying organic milk, fruit and vegetables, and spending around £15.
Erol Osdemir, the Kurdish Turk shop owner, said: “He’s a very good man, he’s very friendly, he’ll say hello to everyone walking past, he’ll ask if there’s any problems in the area.”
Mr Miliband also buys a £7.55 chicken tikka masala from his local Indian restaurant, Monsoon, and is such a regular customer that his endorsement appears on the front of its menu.
On a difficult day on the campaign trail today, Mr Miliband was also left embarrassed during a radio interview in which he admitted not knowing the name of the local party leader.
During the appearance on BBC Wiltshire, he was asked whether he thought Jim Grant had “done a good job”. He replied that “Labour representatives are doing a good job right across the country”.
Asked directly by presenter Ben Prater whether he knew who Mr Grant was, the Labour leader replied: “You will enlighten me, I am sure.”
Mr Miliband then said Mr Grant was doing a “good job” as leader of Swindon Borough Council, only to have it pointed out that the council is Conservative-led.
