To ask why do people not working claiming FSM get this for free?

But again, such children are put into the subsidised childcare in the example you give not necessarily so their folks can work (although that’s also be great) but to give the children a better start as the early years are absolutely critical in terms of life outcomes.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/04/record-number-of-young-in-the-uk-at-risk-of-exploitation-this-summer?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Again, lol. Have you got any idea how many people live just above the breadline?

Do you think it needs pointing out that someone who can afford a mortgage is probably more likely to be in a position to deal with damp than someone reliant upon social housing?

That’s not very positive. Labour can do better than that surely..

Btw you’ve summed up their sideline stance in opposition quite well, I doubt it’ll be quite so smooth in power, as you can see with early clashes. It’ll be interesting anyway

It’s not a wilful contempt of neglected children. It’s seeing people getting something for nothing when you have to work to get the same. Whenever somebody is getting something for nothing, someone else is doing something for nothing.

It’s frustrating seeing children in subsided for free childcare when you put your kids in childcare to work and so working is costing you before you’ve set foot out the door.

I don't believe the Tories want to win this GE.

They've g(r)ifted the coffers to their chums/donors, over the past 13 years, to the extent there is nowt left.

Now they want to stand on the sidelines for five years very loudly blaming Labour. They've overloaded the parasitical HoL in advance of this with the purpose of stymieing anything of use Labour attempt to achieve.

Fast forward five years and the goldfish electorate will consider the Tories the best option, through their prudent fiscal management (lol), to dig us out of mess 'Labour' created in five years .....

Lol

Do you think there’s a maintenance fairy that shows up to your privately owned, mortgaged house or do you live in the real
world?

Idk there are so many threads showing an expectation of more funding

If people look at the policies they’d see there isn’t any. The outrage from their own party over the green thing shows they’ve sold in higher expectations than they will be able to deliver on

The numbers are out

There isn’t any money, the public are having a really hard time wrapping their heads around this and want the moon on a stick. I honestly don’t know what will happen; further sticking plasters probably as there’s no cash for root and branch change. Nobody wants to hear the real reasons we are in this mess. It’s a shame, we could have such a great society if people would wake up and smell the coffee.

When my children were at junior school their breakfast club and after school clubs were free, all because we live in a "deprived" area.

No but what ‘opportunities’ would they be missing through not attending after school club which most children don’t anyway? And does it mean those other children are also deprived through not going, so it should be free for all?

I’m a disabled single parent and because of my disability and chronic pain I cannot work. So you’re telling me that my child should be deprived of opportunities because I’m disabled and cannot work?

There’s a lot of expectation around Labour

It was easy to see their numbers were pie in the sky, hence the u turn

I hope the tories lose and will be voting labour but even they have admitted we are too broke to make any meaningful changes, so it can’t all be corruption can it, they’ve just scrapped their flagship green pledge because we can’t afford it which is deeply disappointing

There are some very angry Tories on MN lately. I guess electoral oblivion is hard to face.

It will take a very very long time, probably decades, to repair the damage the Tories have done. So no, I don't think Starmer is going to charge in etc. No one with an IQ higher than an ice cube does.

As for women "breeding" well, we actually need women to have more children, not fewer. So it makes sense to support and nurture those children, whoever they are born to. They are our future.

Thank you, tax payer.

It's actually often the lack of bus fare to said activity, the inability of the parent with health issues or disability to take the child there, it's struggling to take younger siblings on the journey there and back, it's the neurodiverse child being unable to cope with the change of a different environment of said activity. It is the club being too short for the parent to use it as childcare to work. It's the child simply not wanting to go to the activity because they would not enjoy it. It's the child visiting grandparents that week or going on holiday ( yes kids on fsm go on holiday) . It's the child not knowing other kids going to the activity and feeling anxious. it's the parent wanting to spend quality time with their dc that week.

this is simply untrue

My DC works at holiday clubs coaching sports at a school where nearly all this kids fall into this category.

It was a real eye opener when they first started, as pp have said these children would never get any opportunities to do any sports or clubs without it. They get to engage in some healthy activity, get fed at lunch time and have something positive in their lives.

I know there will always be some who lie just outside of FSM, and yes in an ideal world this would be extended for all families on benefits, but at least it is provided for those with the most need - and it really is needed.

Do they, in England? They don’t in Wales. Actual free meals are being rolled out to all primary pupils but the pupil premium has to be applied for annually, as did FSM before the roll out (and still does for secondary).

That might vary by county. In our county it is definitely an annual application.