Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been branded a “snob” by one of his own backbenchers after it was claimed McDonald’s was banned from the party's autumn conference.
The fast-food giant reportedly wanted to pay £30,000 to have a display stand promoting British farm produce at this year’s conference in Liverpool, but was turned down.
It has already been approved to display the "interactive experience" at the Conservative and the SNP conferences this September, the Sun on Sunday reported.
The final decision on exhibitors at the conference is taken by the Labour National Executive Committee (NEC), which the party leader chairs.
Labour backbencher Wes Streeting, who had a part-time job at McDonald’s as a teenager, said he was “exasperated” that the party “would throw away £30,000 worth of sponsorship like this”.
He said: "It smacks of a snobby attitude towards fast-food restaurants and people who work or eat at them."
In what has been interpreted as a dig at Mr Corbyn’s long-standing vegetarianism, he added: "McDonald’s may not be the trendy falafel bar that some people in politics like to hang out at but it's enjoyed by families across the country."
A Labour spokesperson told The Independent: "We do not comment on commercial decisions".
A spokesperson for McDonald's UK told The Independent: "We are very disappointed with the decision Labour has taken".
