Government minister tells struggling families to just ‘buy value brands’

A government minister has told families to consider buying ‘value products’ if they are struggling with the cost of living crisis.

As inflation soars to its highest level in decades, Environment Secretary George Eustice has said that by going for cheaper ‘value’ goods, families can ‘contain and manage their household budget’.

Eustice made the comments during an interview with Sky News, when he was asked what his advice was to people who want a Sunday roast with a chicken but cannot afford it. 

He replied: “Generally speaking, what people find is by going for some of the value brands rather than own-branded products – they can actually contain and manage their household budget.

“It will undoubtedly put a pressure on household budgets and, of course, it comes on top of those high gas prices as well.”

He did admit that budgeting becomes harder on things like chicken and poultry, with him pointing out that increased feed costs end up getting passed through the system because ‘these people work on wafer-thin margins and they have to pass that cost through’.

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Eustice also weighed in on elderly people riding on buses to stay warm, an issue highlighted by Good Morning Britain during their interview with the Prime Minister yesterday morning.

While Boris Johnson was unable to offer a solution after hearing of seventy-seven year old Elsie using her bus pass to stay out of her home for as long as possible, Eustice said those in a similar predicament should speak to their local authority.

He said: “My advice to her would be to go to the local authority and try to get some support from the Household Support Fund, it’s what it’s there for.”

Eustice’s appearance this morning has been met with a wave of backlash, with one MP saying it highhlights just how the Conservatives are living in a ‘parallel universe’ to the British public.

Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain said: “These comments show George Eustice and the Conservatives are living in a parallel universe. Families and pensioners who can’t afford their weekly shop need more help, not patronising advice from a clueless minister.”

This comes just one day after Boris Johnson admitted his government was not doing enough to help people with the cost of living crisis, which has seen the average household energy bill increase by £693 per year.