Lee Anderson plays down ‘poverty nonsense’, saying 1970s was ‘real poverty’

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Conservative Party deputy chairman also defended his position and previous comments on food poverty, saying when he was young “we didn’t go on TikTok or Facebook or moan and say: ‘I’ve got no food'”, adding that his family’s philosophy was: “They’re our kids, we’ll feed them.” He was speaking at a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester hosted by Conservative Home and UK In A Changing Europe, and appeared to row back at the end of the event on the validity of making comparisons with the 1970s. “So when I talk about food poverty … and the 30p meals and all that sort of stuff, I’m speaking about that from a position of strength – I’ve been there, I’ve done it.” But he appeared to row back on the remarks later in the event, saying: “I think it’s probably an unfair comparison just comparing life now to what it was in the 70s, although I do do it sometimes.” Mr Anderson also suggested the benefits system can be “a little bit too nice”. You know, I think it should be stick and carrot, I think there should be maybe greater rewards for going back to work … but I think you can live far too comfortably sometimes in this country without putting a shift in.” He spoke about working for a Labour MP earlier in his career around 2012, describing a case of a family claiming benefits with several children, adding “they’ve got these children on ADHD, I don’t believe a lot of that, I think some of it’s just bad parenting”. The MP also criticised junior doctors for striking, saying: “Personally, I think they should be ashamed of themselves, people are dying.” He added: “They bang on about they’ve lost 35% of their wages in the last 13 or 14 years, why didn’t they moan about it 13 years ago?” When it was pointed out they would not have lost the money, he said: “Well, five years ago, six years ago, seven years ago – because it’s all on the back of these strikes that are going on to try and bring the Government down.” Elsewhere in the event, the MP said: “I always think a dictator is a good idea, if they’re a good dictator, but there’s no good dictators is there really.