Writer Jack Monroe has the BEST response to Tory MSP's food bank claim

A LEADING food campaigner has responded to Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton’s claim about food bank users in a way that’s just … *chef’s kiss*.

Hamilton, the MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire since 2017, found herself in hot water this week after claiming that families forced to use food banks are “less well-educated” on cooking and preparing meals.

The MSP and Scottish Tory chairwoman has been widely condemned for the “completely out of touch” take, which she presented to the Rural Affairs Committee at Holyrood.

It was mainly Scottish politicians getting stuck into the MSP, including SNP committee colleague Alasdair Allan who branded her comments “utterly disgraceful and an insult to thousands of families across Scotland”.

READ MORE: Tory MPs' enraging food bank selfies sum up Dickensian Britain

Now Jack Monroe, the author and campaigner known for her popular budget recipe books like Cooking on a Bootstrap and Tin Can Cook, has aired Hamilton’s claims to her UK-wide audience – and more than 400,000 Twitter followers.

“So Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton claims that people using food banks are ‘less well educated’ about food and cookery,” she wrote. “Rachael, I wrote my first bestselling cookery book AS A FOOD BANK USER and have gone on to write six more. How many has she written, can anyone check?”

So Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton claims that people using food banks are ‘less well educated’ about food and cookery. Rachael, I wrote my first bestselling cookery book AS A FOOD BANK USER and have gone on to write six more. How many has she written, can anyone check?

— Jack Monroe (@BootstrapCook) January 27, 2022

The Jouker could not find any evidence of Hamilton having written any books.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford also jumped in to criticise Hamilton after Monroe’s intervention.

“The Tories have pushed millions of people into poverty through deep cuts and the soaring cost of Brexit,” he pointed out. “Rachel Hamilton MSP’s comments aren’t just insulting, they show @ScotTories are completely divorced from reality when it comes to understanding the lives of many families.”

And Allan added:  "The Tories continually refuse to listen to opposition politicians, experts and charities about the devastating suffering being inflicted on thousands of families as a result of their cruel policies. Perhaps the comments of budget recipe book author, Jack Monroe, will make the Tories realise how out of touch, ignorant and damaging their views actually are."

Monroe has been in the news lots over the past few weeks, mainly due to her excellent explainers on how the cost of living crisis affects actual people – removing the misleading descriptions of inflation which dominate the media.

The activist is currently working on launching an inflation index to track the price of basic food staples – and has welcomed the news that the ONS will be providing a more detailed breakdown on the cost of living situation after she raised her concerns.

Well done Jack! Scotland's opposition parties wish they had your sense ...