Claude Littner is an advisor on the Apprentice (Picture: BBC)

The Apprentice’s Claude Littner has faced criticism after he advised nurses they should get a part-time job instead of resorting to using food banks.

He said: ‘If a nurse or anyone else need to make ends meet, nothing wrong with extending hours or finding part time work.’

The British-American businessman, 70, defended his position today amid a storm of anger from people saying nurses already worked extremely hard and should not be expected to take on even more work.

One woman said she would be ‘ashamed’ if someone from the public sector was serving her fries.


Mr Littner responded: ‘Surely less demeaning than visiting the food banks’.



This particular tweet was seized upon by many who said it was not humiliating for people to resort to using a food bank.

Yes, and what is your point? If a nurse or anyone else need to make ends meet, nothing wrong with extending hours or finding part time work. https://t.co/X7oqYrnUIg — Claude Littner (@claudelittner) November 11, 2019

No good deed goes unpunished!

I responded to a nurse who stated that she could not make ends meet. I suggested that as a stop gap she might find some part time work to make ends meet. My niece is a nurse & has an online business that generates income.. result torrent of abuse! https://t.co/kSgcQfuo8Q — Claude Littner (@claudelittner) November 12, 2019

Surely less demeaning that visiting the food banks. https://t.co/j81t0MaWYu — Claude Littner (@claudelittner) November 11, 2019

However, Mr Littner claimed he was not referring to using a food bank being demeaning to individuals, but to the nation.

He said: ‘What is demeaning is that in UK today, hard working people need to use food banks because their pay is too low! THAT IS MY POINT.’

Nurses should get better pay, he said, but until this happened he was offering a pragmatic solution to not being able to make ends meet.

He added: ‘I have the greatest regard for nurses, and have said so for years and years. They have helped save my life and cared for me and family. They are ANGELS.’

But Twitter user Ashley Winter accused him of being ‘patronising, out-of-touch and frankly, disrespectful to nurses’.

Another said: ‘The point is there’s not enough hours in a day to work a second job. Doing a 12-16 hour shift, having a family, sleep and time to actually breathe… There is no time left.That leaves the only option which is a food bank.Instead of criticising the nurses point it at the government.’

What is demeaning is that in UK today, hard working people need to use food banks because their pay is too low! THAT IS MY POINT https://t.co/PRFW0FOyCn — Claude Littner (@claudelittner) November 13, 2019

You are getting a lot of stick today Claude. There is absolutely nothing wrong with your advice. Some of us thrive on hard work, others are just full of excuses. https://t.co/dHn0AKaWOA — Sue Garrett Ibrahim (@SkinSpecialist) November 12, 2019

Mr Littner had some support from people on Twitter.

Sue Garrett Ibraham wrote: ‘You are getting a lot of stick today Claude. There is absolutely nothing wrong with your advice. Some of us thrive on hard work, others are just full of excuses.’

Nat Barn said: ‘I bet you wish you’d never answered that initial query now Claude! Quite clear what you said and was perfectly reasonable.’

Mr Littner hit back at the criticism, saying: ‘The outrage demonstrates how sick society is today!’

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