Labour MS blasted over 'wasteful' taxpayer funded food researcher job

Emily Price 

A Welsh Labour backbencher has been slammed after advertising a £45,000 a year taxpayer funded Senedd role for a staffer to research what people eat in Cardiff.

Cardiff Central MS Jenny Rathbone published the job advertisement on the Senedd's website on Wednesday (November 5).

The 75-year-old Labour politician is seeking a 'Food policy researcher' to investigate food distribution in Cardiff as well as what people living in Wales' capital ate during World War 2.

The researcher will also be asked to investigate who is growing food on agricultural land surrounding the city.

The job advertisement does not specify why the research is being carried out.

The 21 hour a week "remote / field work" job opportunity offers a salary of between 32,351 - £45,380 - although the role is expected to last 3 months.

The successful candidate will be required to: "Identify best practice amongst public, private and community stakeholders currently growing or distributing food in Cardiff and the opportunities for expansion.

"Use best practice drawn from other parts of Wales or elsewhere to identify initiatives to reduce the number of households who never cook from scratch and any evaluation on how this improved their wellbeing.

"Research how Cardiff used to feed itself in the days before 'Just In Time' distribution of food became the norm and how this informed the dominant food culture. What did Cardiff eat during WW2, and where was it grown; allegedly when citizens were physically healthier than at any time before or since.

"Investigate who currently owns the Grade I, 2 and 3a BMV land surrounding Cardiff, the amount being used to grow food and the extent of the vulnerability of this BMV land to be repurposed for other uses."

Stepping down

The Welsh Conservatives branded Rathbone's Cardiff food researcher role a waste of taxpayers' cash.

Tory MS Tom Giffard: "This is not surprising coming from the takeaway-hating, anti-meal deal, pro-salt and fat taxing Labour MS who once called Blaenau Gwent 'the capital of obesity'.

"Instead of spending taxpayers’ money on an advisor to help Labour learn how to tell people how to live their lives, they should ditch the nanny state nonsense and fix Welsh public services."

Rathbone was elected to the then National Assembly in May 2011 after defeating the Liberal Democrats in the Cardiff Central seat but announced in February that "after much reflection" she would not be seeking re-election next year.

During her time in the Senedd her interests have focused on the climate emergency and Wales' public health emergency which she says has been "exacerbated by our unhealthy diets".

'Committed'

Nation.Cymru contacted Jenny Rathbone and asked why she was employing someone to research food on her behalf just months before she planned to step down.

We also contacted the Senedd and asked why taxpayers money was being spent on a three month long food researcher role for an MS who is set to leave politics in five months.

Ms Rathbone said: "Thank you for your interest in my Senedd work. I have worked with the Senedd’s HR team to ensure that this role is permissible under the determination.

"I am committed to an open and fair recruitment process to get the best person for the role.

"This short-term role will ensure that the expertise I have built up over 15 years of policy work on improving food security in Wales is available for use by future Senedd Members.

"This is not some minor matter. The World Economic Forum, the Financial Times and the university research community are flagging up that the changing climate is seriously impacting future food security."