Warley MP John Spellar bashed the proposed Tory government-imposed cuts to the BBC as “petty and vindictive” and urged constituents to sign a petition (available here) to save the BBC’s recipe archive.

John Spellar MP said: “at a time when the government is meant to be promoting healthy living, it beggars belief that it is restricting access to an easily available resource of recipes.”

He added: “I hope that the government will reconsider its approach in light of the visible public uproar over this matter”.