Minister tells Worrall Thompson to feck off

matty · May 11, 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4761693.stm

TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson should stick to cooking, says the new Economic Secretary to the Treasury Ed Balls.

Mr Balls, a close friend and ex-adviser to Gordon Brown, was reacting to Mr Worrall's comments urging scrapping the minimum wage for restaurant workers.

The chef also hit out at Eastern Europeans and other foreign workers for poor service in UK restaurants.

Mr Worrall Thompson proposed tips should replace the minimum wage to encourage better standards in eateries.

But in his first appearance at the despatch box during Treasury questions Mr Balls said: "I saw this morning in the newspapers the comments of Mr Worrall Thompson who actually said it would be a good idea to abolish the minimum wage for restaurant workers in London.

"Personally, I think he presents Saturday Kitchen very well but I think he should stick to cooking.

"It would be quite the wrong direction to take for our country to have restaurant workers in our country being denied the minimum wage and fairness at work."

Cobs · May 11, 2006