Poor people blow money on iPhones and then turn to food banks for meals, claims former Lord Mayor of Liverpool

People who use food banks would rather spend their money on iPhones than feeding their families, a former city Lord Mayor has claimed.

Lib Dem Eddie Clein accused people in Liverpool of always having money for the ‘non-necessities of life’ but then struggled to put meals on the table.

The comments sparked a fresh row about why poor families turn to food banks, after Education Secretary Michael Gove suggested they have only their own bad financial ‘decisions’.

More than half a million people across Britain have turned to food banks to stave off hunger, according to charities.

Mr Clein, a former councillor for four decades and ex-Lord Mayor of Liverpool, said that those struggling financial still found the money for expensive gadgets.

The pharmacist told BBC Radio Merseyside: ‘I go to some of these homes, I do prescriptions for them ... and what makes me feel uncomfortable is they’re all standing their with their iPhones.

‘This is what Michael Gove was talking about. They don’t seem to have a shortage of money for the non-necessities of life, but when it comes to choosing whether to put food on the table or buy some stuff to make some meals ... I don’t know.’

He later added: ‘What I can’t come to terms with is that I see so many people who are claiming poverty, and may well be using food banks, who are standing their using an iPhone, even when you are talking to them.’