McMahon: Coffey’s call to eat turnips ‘just does not wash’

The minister for food, farming and fisheries Mark Spencer was called to the commons to answer an urgent question from the shadow secretary of state for DEFRA Jim McMahon on  food prices.

Mr McMahon said: “The secretary of state, when she was here last time, you may remember, gave the advice to the nation – that call to arms – to go out and buy turnips. … That just does not wash. When will the government realise this is a crisis of the government’s making and they need to take action now?”.