Author calling on MP to retract ‘libel’
JACK MONROE WANTS APOLOGY FROM LEE ANDERSON
AUTHOR Jack Monroe has called for controversial Nottinghamshire MP Lee Anderson to retract “libellous” comments about her.
The Ashfield MP’S contested remarks were made in a video for the Reclaim Party.
The Conservative MP for Ashfield was speaking in response to the popular author’s criticism of him over his widely publicised recent comments about food banks.
In Parliament in the debate over the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday, Mr Anderson said that there was not a “massive use” for food banks and that people should be able to feed themselves for 30p a meal made from scratch, adding that a lack of basic cooking skills and budgeting was causing people to use food banks.
Jack Monroe criticised the MP on Twitter over his comments in Parliament.
Monroe, an anti-poverty campaigner, often shares money-saving recipes, and has now said she considers comments he made about her in an interview video posted by the Reclaim Party on Friday to be libellous.
As well as the allegedly libellous comment, Mr Anderson also said: “You know what? It is her that is rich. I’m not rich, Martin. No, I was dragged up in Huthwaite. As you know, I worked down the pit all my life. Didn’t have two ha’pennies to rub together. I am where I am because the Conservative Party gave me that chance. And I feel like
I’m a voice for the silent majority, and if I’m rattling the left and the liberals, then I’m doing my job.”
On Twitter the author replied: “This is a very clear-cut case of outright libel. So far, I can see it has 19,300 views. You’d be wise to take it down and fully retract and apologise before you make this any worse for yourselves.”
Later, at 5.25pm on Friday, Monroe, who is a former foodbank user, posted: “Lee Anderson making outrageous, libellous statements is he? And Martin Daubney [the video’s interviewer] encouraging and promoting them. Excellent.”
In 2017, Monroe won £24,000 damages in a libel case against columnist Katie Hopkins.
You’d be wise to take it down and fully retract and apologise before you make this any worse for yourself Jack Monroe