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£13.60 meal deal shock at Labour party conference

I’ve been in Liverpool this week, covering Andy Burnham at the Labour party conference. And it’s safe to say I brought Mancunian weather with me.

The first two days of the event have been a total wash-out, providing a suitable backdrop to the government warning that tough times might be ahead. But the rains have also forced thousands of delegates inside, fearful they’ll be drenched if they leave the complex close to the city’s docks.

Armed with only a small umbrella and a long coat, I’ve been one of the fearful. And many attendees like me will have been forced to seek sustenance inside the conference complex.

Events like this can be filled with long days, and any chance to rest and refuel is precious. Anyone here will tell you, a decent lunch essential. While it’s true many fringe events have canapes and pastries, they don’t constitute a proper meal which can keep you going for hours on end.

Inside, I opted for what I thought would be an inexpensive option in a trio of a bagel, crisps, and small smoothie. This is the kind of feast which might set you back around £5 as a ‘premium’ supermarket meal deal.

I knew to expect some kind of mark-up, and thought my bill might come to the £8 mark. But I was shocked to see my total was £13.60. There is no ‘deal discount’ here.

My 330ml of Innocent smoothie was £2.60. My bag of posh ready salted crisps was £2. And my plant-based chicken club bagel was £9.

Thinking I’d just chosen the wrong combination of items, I checked the menu. Although the bagel was the most expensive sandwich, a traditional duo of sarnies on brown bread would set you back £7.

If you wanted to go above the mid-range bagel I had, salads ranged from £12 to £15. It was a similar price for other hot dishes like chicken wings.

Now, it’s true to say a lot of delegates will be able to expense these meals, so they don’t foot the bill. But many here are ordinary Labour Party members, some are here because they are members of trade unions, and there are a lot of charity workers here.

That means there are many here who either can’t get the company to pay, or come from an organisation which doesn’t have the coffers to make it happen.

I wouldn’t say I was cross or shocked about the price I paid for that meal. I was just disappointed.

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