Simon Clarke stands by nurses-using-foodbanks remarks

• Chi Onwurah called Mr. Clarke’s remarks on budgeting “insulting”.
• A band 5 nurse’s starting wage is slightly over £27,000.
• And those with four years of experience might make close to £33,000.

Simon Clarke, a member of parliament, defends his comments on nurses utilizing food banks.

Simon Clarke came under fire after he said “something is wrong with your budgeting” if people used food banks and their average salary was £35,000.

Chi Onwurah, a Labor member of parliament from Newcastle Central, called Mr. Clarke’s remarks on budgeting “insulting.”

Following the start of the most recent two-day strike by nurses last week, the former Levelling Up Secretary under Liz Truss made the initial remarks.

He told Media: “I do not believe that people on an average salary of £35,000 a year need to be using food banks.”

His remarks were branded “disgusting, heartless and dangerously out of touch” by the Royal College of Nursing union.

A band 5 nurse’s starting wage is slightly over £27,000, and those with four years of experience might make close to £33,000.

Mr. Clarke was questioned about his remarks on Sunday.

He said: “What I said was that, if you are earning the average nurses wage, which is £35,000 a year according not to me but to the Royal College of Nursing, if you are earning that salary then I do not believe that that is a salary at which, routinely, you should need to use a food bank, and I think that is an important thing to say.

“Obviously the median salary in this country is about £28,000”.

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