Eustice unfairly under fire for his advice to cut the cost of living

GEORGE Eustice has, despite the gleeful predictions of some on the Opposition benches, had a good run as Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Like Mark Twain’s death, which the great American writer said had been “greatly exaggerated” (he was abroad, but alive), stories of Mr Eustice’s imminent sacking from the Cabinet have also proved premature.

And while the MP for Camborne and Redruth has not delighted everyone with his stewardship of his department, it cannot be said he doesn’t have a good grasp of the major issues, whether in farming, food production or fishing – all of which are part of the Defra brief.

To his credit, the MP, part of a long-established Cornish farming family, also generally tries to answer the questions put to him. And that can sometimes land him in trouble, given that the usual tactic of politicians is to avoid the question at all costs and duck and weave around the issues to which people want answers.

He was at it again yesterday, giving what he hoped was helpful advice for coping with the cost of living crisis and suggesting that Elsie, the pensioner said to be using long bus rides to keep warm, saving the cost of heating her home, should contact her local council for possible help.

Mr Eustice also advised those on limited incomes to buy value brands at the supermarket if they wanted to eke out their weekly food budget.

Cue a chorus of complaints from Labour and Lib Dem MPs and shadow ministers about Mr Eustice being “patronising”, “clueless” and “out-oftouch.”

Kicking a minister is a standard tactic whenever one of them opens their mouth, so the attacks on Mr Eustice will probably not prove too wounding for him.

But it is hard to know – given that he’s not in a position to provide the kind of hand-outs Labour and the

Lib Dems are looking for to help struggling families – what Mr Eustice could have said.

And, in truth, his advice is sound. His comments are in line with widespread advice to consumers trying to cope with the cost-of-living crisis to consider dropping a price level at the supermarket to save money.

Supermarkets separate their products into different categories, from the most expensive premium level through to progressively cheaper branded products, own brand and value lines.

The MoneySavingExpert (MSE) website suggests those struggling with food costs try the ‘Downshift

Challenge’ by swapping one of everything to something just one brand level lower. MSE says: “If you can’t tell the difference... then why pay more for it?” And downshifting typically cuts grocery bills by 30%.

There are no easy fixes to raging inflation and soaring energy and food costs driven by, among other things, the end of the pandemic, a new and bloody war in Europe and – many would agree – the impact of Brexit. The Government has put measures in place; more are needed and will surely follow. In the meantime, going for value brands at the supermarket sounds like a good idea.