Thousands of people have watched a video showing Tory MP Mary Macleod being grilled during a visit to a Hounslow foodbank.
Former Take a Break editor John Dale put the Brentford & Isleworth MP on the spot last week when she met volunteers at Hounslow Community FoodBox in Brentford.
He challenged her over her record of voting to cut welfare benefits, asking whether she felt it had contributed to the need for food banks like the one she was visiting.
She initially appears surprised by the tone of his questioning, stumbling somewhat in her reply before composing herself and saying she is 'inspired' rather than 'disappointed' by what she has seen at the centre. She goes on to say she is pleased the Government's policies have helped so many people into work.
Since uploading the video to YouTube on Saturday, Mr Dale said it had been seen by nearly 4,000 people. He told getwestlondon he planned to dish up the same treatment to other local candidates, including Ruth Cadbury, Labour's parliamentary candidate for the constituency.
Speaking about the video to getwestlondon.co.uk, Ms Macleod said there would always be people needing short term support from food banks like the one in Brentford, whether that was because they had lost their job, encountered a delay in getting benefits or been a victim of domestic violence.
"I said I would work with FoodBox to address the issues experienced by those people requiring its help," she added.
"This government is trying to get those who can work back into work, and I'm proud of that because for me that's the way out of poverty."
Figures published by the Trussell Trust in November last year showed a 28 per cent increase in the number of people using its food banks in west London during the start of 2014/15, compared with the same period the previous year.
Hounslow Community FoodBox was set up by Hounslow Council and is not part of the Trussel Trust network of food banks.
