Carol Vorderman has been branded a "horrible little snob" by a Conservative MP following one of latest social media rants. Carol, who lives in Clifton, has been embroiled in a bust up with Veterans' Minister Johnny Mercer recently, with other MPs now getting involved.
The feud kicked off around a week ago when Carol claimed the Plymouth Moor View MP was "wrong" for alleging that that food bank use by military personnel is "a personal decision". Carol then reflected on her own upbringing "in poverty", with the Countdown legend's late mum, Jean, working five jobs to feed Carol and her siblings.
Carol also alleged that Mercer, 41, and his wife, Felicity Cornelius-Mercer, 43, who works in his office, had a "total taxpayers' salary of approx £120,000" with a "total cost to taxpayer" of "£373,663". Mercer then hit back at Carol, writing alongside a vomiting emoji: "You are grim."
Read more: Carol Vorderman branded 'grim' by Government minister after latest political rant
In the latest installment of drama, Carol has criticised the Mercers for not having any academic qualifications to go with their high salaries. In a tweet on Saturday (July 8), Carol once again took aim at the couple, whom she branded "the Neil and Christine Hamilton of today" last week.
"Plymouth Moor View predicted Labour win at GE. Gosh, what are arrogant Johnny Mercer & his wife going to do for a joint income of £160,000+ plus enormous expenses?" she asked.
"Not a degree in sight in spite of expensive private education! So who'd employ them?"
As Carol's fans agreed with her, Redcar and Cleveland MP Jacob Young hit back on his fellow Tory MP's behalf, branding the maths whiz a "snob". "I grew up watching this woman on TV," he wrote.
"I was good at maths and preferred the numbers part of countdown. A degree wasn’t right for me, so I did an apprenticeship instead.
"'Not a degree in sight… so who’d employ them?' What a horrible little snob she has exposed herself to be."
Carol has become a high-profile critic of the Government in recent times, often citing her impoverished upbringing in her arguments. The Cambridge alumna, who grew up in North Wales, received free school meals.
In a column for The Mirror a few years ago, Carol wrote: "My dad had had an affair while she was pregnant with me and they’d separated when I was about two weeks old, so she moved back to Wales with us. I shared a bed with my mum until I was nine, as there were four of us in one bedroom.
"There was no central heating, you’d put another jumper on. Every Sunday night, mum would put money in the meter to have one tub of hot water.
"The question was always, ‘Who’s having first water?’ Usually it was me, as I was the little one, then my brother, mother and sister.
"Afterwards you’d be wrapped in a towel and run towards the gas fire. Normally we’d only have one bar on, but on bath night all three would be on. The joy from having so much heat and knowing I smelt clean!"
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