LABOUR leader Ed Miliband called a young Conservative “totally out of touch” after he appeared to claim people who used food banks did not always spend their money wisely.

West Oxfordshire Conservative Future chairman Liam Walker said on Twitter: “I have seen some ‘food bank users’ in the pubs of Witney... #priorities.”

He did not respond to requests for an interview yesterday but tweeted: “I apologise for my previous tweet. Food banks are excellent and do a fantastic job in our communities.”

But Mr Miliband, on a visit to the Oxfordshire West Food Bank in Witney yesterday, said: “They’re disgraceful comments and I actually raised them at the Witney food bank when I was there. They were ridiculous comments. I think it just shows [him] being totally out of touch with where the country is.”

Oxfordshire West Food Bank founder Jo Cypher said: “I think I am due a personal apology and also I think the Witney constituents deserve a public apology, too. If our supporters see what has been said and they decided not to support us anymore then it would be damaging.”