AIBU to think the UK should have a National Food Service again? (Like we basically had in WW2)

I'm not convinced that the Chinese have really done any such thing as their poverty level is set extremely low. Some of their methods are not ones that would be acceptable here, such as forced relocation and employment. The so called 'success' is not as a result of agricultural policies, but more about raising literacy levels, modernisation of infrastructure and job creation. They have spent enormous sums of money to raise the incomes of some of the most impoverished sections of society, and I am not saying this is a bad thing, but it is nothing to do with agricultural policy.

My Dad was arround during post war rationing and austerity. He reports being HUNGRY. The fight over one piece of sliced bread at dinner. The little boy in his class who always asked to eat his mates apple core because that was as close to an apple as he was likely to get. They were also cold. Dinner was a slice of bread with dripping and a hot cup of tea. People were not plump and well fed on Government rations!

It wouldn't work in any world. People who can afford it will buy higher grade food and more varied food. This would then leave a basic level for people on benefits. Imagine the outrange and comparisons to work houses this type of system would lead to.

although I don’t agree with the idea of government food I think this is a moot point- no one would be forced into buying government food I presume, it would just be available amongst others.

people with allergies to flour carrots rice apples etc would just do whatever they do now to avoid them

No they’re not?! The only ones moaning are the busybodies obsessed with what other people may or may not be eating. Which is none of their business

But if there is a national food service and they don’t account for that, then it’s effectively a reduction in their benefits.

the scheme won’t work without taking this into account.

We already give people with disabilities higher levels of benefits to account for this.

I can’t cook because I’m disabled.

how are you going to mitigate that?

And again. How are you going to mitigate for the disabled or those with food intolerances and allergies? Because unless you do that, you’re effectively making their food more expensive. So their benefits would have to be increased?

Because they are the ones that are moaning?

It's beggars' belief that people can't cook. Presumably we've all had Home Economics/Food Technology lessons at school.

I know it must be harder if your own mother/carer did not have confidence in cooking, but there are so many resources available. It's pretty easy to follow a recipe in a book or BBC Good Food or YouTube. It doesn't have to be great first time, but you learn by doing.

If you don't have pots and pans, or utensils, may these could go on the Christmas list. I'm not sure if you can easily get these at charity shops, but you certainly can from organisations such as Besom.

As for time, there are loads of recipe books for meals in under 30 minutes. Surely even a very busy person has 30 minutes? An Iceland special probably takes longer than this.

But then you’re eliminating the competition that made them so cheap in the first place. So today a bag of carrots at 60p might be great but in 10 years time theylll have increased by cpi every year of something and be 70p whereas a competitive market could’ve held them at 60p. You’re basically killing competition which drives down prices, not up.

I think it’d be a good idea. Set prices across all supermarkets or govt run stores for all basics.

Yes I’m a bit miffed at 69p for a bag of carrots really expensive too.

69p for a bag of carrots is really cheap though. I'm struggling to work out how a farmer could grow them for much cheaper. Part of the problem is that people are so removed from how food is actually produced that they think carrots just magically appear in the ground.There are production costs, transportation costs, inspection costs, packaging costs etc. To then think that a bago of carrots is expensive at 69p is insane! The only way I can think of making them cheaper is to sell them in unwashed bunches, but I guarantee that nobody would buy them like that.

You must have the one really expensive supermarket in the country then, at supermarkets round my area apples and bananas are £1 a bag, cheese is £3 for a big block. You don’t need to just eat lentils, but they are very useful to bulk out meals, as are cheap veg like carrots. I make a batch of spaghetti bolognese for under £8 using mince and then lentils, carrots, mushrooms and peas to bulk it out and it feeds a family of 4 for 3 meals, that’s almost half a week of dinners for less than £8, with 5 vegetables included and filling. If you cook from scratch using the cheaper food available then decent meals really aren’t expensive.

You really need that? In your previous post you asked me how it would be adapted for disabled and people with allergies. I responded to say it is not my scheme I think it is a bad idea. Daytime mumsnetting is hard work.

No
I do not want to pay more tax thanks

Sorry I had to edit as the site crashed having only posted half my response!

Well, you could if you wanted to. But I didn't say you should...

The idea of the government being able to 'control' food supply to the people chills me to the bone. They are already trying to get far more control than they need (digital id, carbon allowance etc) I am in charge of my family's budget and i dont need anyone else telling me what or how much of something i can buy. The very idea should terrify you, never give someone else that kind of control, it is totally open to abuse.

Why do you need them to cook?

why is feckless not to cook?

Please point to where I said it was your scheme? Thanks.

You can’t eat a tin of pulses for every meal either?!

eta- that response was to the poster who can apparently produce a meal of carbs protein and veg for under £1.

It's not my scheme. I think it is a ridiculous item for the government to control food when the system is so efficient. And to refer to the war - there is a reason that people were very thin in the 1940s food was very limited.

The current system works.