Foodbank CEO responds to Gillian Keegan comments: 'We haven't seen you since you were elected'

Speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News yesterday morning (Wednesday, November 10) Chichester MP Gillian Keegan, who was appointed as education secretary last month, said she visits foodbanks regularly and received criticism after suggesting that people seek emergency support from foodbanks due to broken down ‘boilers or relationships’.

Mrs Keegan said: “I go to my foodbanks quite a lot and ask them what is the reason why people are there at foodbanks and quite often when you go to foodbanks it will be something will have happened. Something will have broken down, a relationship or a boiler or anything. They are usually there in an emergency situation.”

The CEO and founder of Chichester District Foodbank, Joanne Kondabeka, has since spoken out in a personal capacity and refuted Mrs Keegan’s claims that she either visits regularly or that her understanding of foodbank usage came from Chichester volunteers.

She said: “I was informed that in Gillian Keegan's interview on Sky News with Kay Burley that she regular visits Chichester District Foodbank and her information came from us. I think her memory must be better than mine as I seem to think when she did visit us, when she first became an MP, I told her the highest reason people came to us were those on low income, which includes those who are working.

"Definitely the odd nurse we have had through hasn't used our service because of a boiler or relationship ending they just couldn't stretch their money any further. Interestingly pre-pandemic she has been to our foodbank centre in Midhurst to help give out food parcels to children on free school meals due to low income, during the school holidays. I notice she never mentioned that as Education Minister.”

The comments came during a discussion over NHS nurses having to turn to foodbanks as thousands across the UK voted for strike action this week.

Rachel Harrison, national secretary of the trade union GMB, said: “Nurses and other NHS workers have been forced to use food banks because they are desperate after more than a decade of real terms pay cuts under the Conservatives. To suggest they do it because of a relationship bust up displays a staggering lack of empathy.

“Does Ms Keegan think we have 135,000 vacancies in the NHS because of break ups? Or is it the systematic underpayment of health professionals. The minister needs to accept the damage her government has done to the NHS and help fix it, rather than indulging in damaging rhetoric.”

Gillian Keegan has since said in a statement: “I last visited a local foodbank in December 2020 and always ask people why they need help so we can understand how to support people better.”