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Why doesn’t Letwin think Sheffielders should have cheap holidays?
Oliver Letwin.
A TOP Tory minister has sparked fury after he was accused of saying he didn’t want people from Sheffield flying abroad on cheap holidays.
Millionaire Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Letwin is said to have made the outburst during an argument with London mayor Boris Johnson about building new airports.
DOES SHEFFIELD DESERVE AN APOLOGY? WHAT DO YOU THINK? JOIN THE DEBATE BY ADDING YOUR COMMENT BELOW.
Mr Johnson said: “I was absolutely scandalised the other day to hear a government minister tell me he did not want to see more families in Sheffield able to afford cheap holidays.
“Absolutely disgraceful, a bourgeois repression of people’s ability to take a holiday. It’s a matter of social justice.”
The London mayor did not name the minister, but now it has been revealed that Mr Letwin, a former merchant banker who was educated at Eton and Cambridge, was the man involved in the row.
Today, furious Sheffield residents told The Star they were appalled by Mr Letwin’s remarks.
Teacher and mum Emily York, aged 25, from Ecclesall, said: “What kind of world are these Tory ministers living in?
“What is wrong with people wanting to go on cheap holidays, especially in the current climate?
“Why does this southern multi-millionaire assume everyone in Sheffield is working class? This class discrimination is so ignorant.
“If he had ever been here he would know it’s a very diverse place.”
Mum-of-two Ruth Elliott, of Wadsley Bridge, who works as a box office supervisor at the Arena, said: “Isn’t that a typical politician’s thing to say?
“Why shouldn’t people in Sheffield have cheap holidays? I was actually upset that they didn’t make more of Sheffield airport so we could have cheaper flights.
“He should ask us what we want, rather than just casting us into one net, assuming he knows everything about us. If he came to Sheffield he would realise these are some of the nicest people in the world.”
Jack Scott, Labour councillor for Arbourthorne, said: “It may be that multi-millionaire Oliver Letwin thinks people shouldn’t go on cheap holidays, but what his government is doing to the economy means it’s all they can afford.
“This latest gaffe shows how out of touch and arrogant this Tory-led government is. Oliver Letwin owes the people of Sheffield an apology for his insulting comments.”
It is not the first time Mr Letwin, a key policy advisor to PM David Cameron, has been in trouble over his outspoken views on class.
He sparked outrage in 2003 when he said he would rather “go out on the streets and beg” than send his children to an inner-city London comprehensive.
A spokesman for Mr Letwin refused to comment.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 66 comments to this article
Page 1 of 5
PaulSheffield
Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 07:41 AMYes Percy vote Labour so that they can further destroy our city 30 million a year still being paid in debt for the world student games and you wonder why there is no money to fund care homes or the police etc.... Labour voters still as thick as ever....
bulsarababy
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 04:52 PMCLEGG- POT,KETTLE BLACK! Need I say more.
kayte
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 04:41 PMYou are kidding?
Percy Tucker
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 09:05 AMThis Tory snob should apoligise in parliment for this remark, but don't let him near Sheffield, the people of this great city should remember what the torys and their puppet clegg think of us in the forth coming election on may 5th and VOTE LABOUR......
kayte
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 07:27 PMYes - I am a good laugh - but sadly some don't have the intelligence to appreciate my humour. But am I bovvered? No - just toddle off to Benidorm and I'll do Verona and the opera.
Rollins88
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 05:57 PMPlease sign my petition to force Letwin to come to Sheffield and make a full public apology: http:www.ipetitions.competitionsheffield-demands-letwin-apologise Make the city proud Thank-you
steelerblade
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 03:09 PMWhy are people so bothered about this person saying this? did anyone even know this person existed before he said this? and as you people voted the party in i thought you would agree..... shame on the people who have brought it on themselves and then getting angry because of the results in which only the people with a brain could see coming. You people voted the idiots into power so now suffer.... you deserve it.
Conga
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 01:02 PMWow i bet your a good laugh Kayte, would not want to bump into a snob like you anyway.............
kayte
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 08:32 AMI don't do 'cheap holidays' so I don't care. I wouldn't go to the sort of resorts which provide 'cheap holidays' if you paid me to do so. The lager louts and disruptive kids would drive me insane.
vote for reality
Monday, April 4, 2011 at 11:59 PMIf letwin wants to put a point forward I am sure many will come forward to put him where he should be, me being one. . I voted for these morons last time but no more
Reiver
Monday, April 4, 2011 at 09:58 PMPersonally, I don't give a fig for any politician's opinion, they're all out of touch with the people of this country.
Sir Taxedalot
Monday, April 4, 2011 at 08:11 PM#53 Are you suggesting The Star is complicit in a Labour inspired slur against the Tories? Well, it wouldn't be the first time would it?
one terry curran
Monday, April 4, 2011 at 07:57 PMMr Letwin is right holidays are far too cheap and this enables the lager louts and problem families to go abroad and stop us having a nice quiet holiday, i think if you earn less than £30,000 per annum you shouldn't be allowed to travel abroad but take holidays at such places as skegness instead.
Wednesday International Jetset
Monday, April 4, 2011 at 07:27 PMThis story is based completely on heresay... mr johnson heard someone say this and that. What utter garbage. What did this man Letwin actually say?
MalMonroe
Monday, April 4, 2011 at 06:34 PMAnd WHY do people INSIST on putting apostrophes where they don't belong???? Just askin'
Page 1 of 5
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