To want everyone to know the names of the MPs who voted against feeding hungry children?

[WrongKindOfFace]

Remember Marcus Rashford and his campaign to extend free school meals? Yesterday all but a handful of Tory MPs voted against extending free school meals over the school holidays until Easter 2021. You can see if your MP is amongst them here: votes.parliament.uk/Votes/Commons/Division/896#noes

Whatever your thoughts on what parents should be doing some children are going to go hungry. Why punish the children because of the sins of the parent? And remember most people on benefits are in work.

Plus there is a bloody pandemic. We’re in unprecedented times. People who were just about managing are now on the bones of their arse.

We have billions to spaff up the wall on a useless test and trace system, or useless Ppe but we can’t feed a few hungry kids. And le’t not forget that the MPs voting against this get subsidised meals and can claim for their food on expenses.

Mine didn't even bother to vote....!!

@GetOffYourHighHorse (apt name btw)

Of course it’s relevant. If one of the most right wing twats in existence thinks the Tories have gone too far, then that is saying something.

The ‘myriad’ of benefits - wtf?? Have you even looked at how much is paid out to a family each month?! It’s not even CLOSE to a living wage.

What makes this sting more than it already does, my child is currently isolating due to a +ve case in the school bubble, we are ok money wise, thankfully, and luckily.
At the point of isolation school immediately contacted the parents offering food parcels if we were eligible for free school dinners...fab, really good, then yesterday we were sent a message from the local authority via school to remind us that if we had to self isolate and was eligible we could apply for the £500 grant, brilliant for those who need it.....with a note underneath reminding parents who are currently having to be at home with their isolating children, potentially not being paid, that they cannot access the grant as it is the child who has to isolate and not the parent...!

It is all so wrong, luckily I could take some time paid to care for our child, but my OH would have to take it unpaid, yet we cannot let a child be at home on their own, and a lot of people can't just work from home!

Sorry, for the rant, but it grinds me that us 'normal' folk are being penalised just for doing the right thing again, and then for MPs to vote to starve children, is a disgrace!

Our local scummy MP is a Tory and obviously voted no. How do they sleep at night and who the hell keeps voting for them!

there's got to be a better way of handling it than handing out money with hardly any restrictions

I don’t think so. I am sure that the vast majority of poorer families do everything they can to ensure their children are fed and warm. If you insist on giving them food rather than cash, who gets to say what is in the food parcel? What happens in more multicultural areas where cultural norms determine what basic food might be - in some streets in London, for example, this would be different in every house on a street. Such a scheme would be bogged down with admin to make it a fair service for everyone who needed it - which would be ridiculously expensive.

Giving cash allows flexibility for families who will probably be juggling multiple needs - use the £15 for food today to put the electric on and the weekly shop can be done when child benefit gets paid 4 days later. Vouchers off some flexibility for those who live near the massive supermarkets so they can buy a pair of shoes needed today and again, do the shopping when the UC comes in. Most families are capable of doing the juggling to make sure everyone gets what they need.

I was one of these hungry kids, offspring of parents who some may describe as “reckless” “lazy” “scroungers” etc etc. My parents weren’t any of those things.

Let me tell you that, as a child, looking in the cupboard and only having flour to eat was shit as hell. Shit.

The idea of some Tory bastards (and I grew up under thatcher) thinking that I should just starve, turns my stomach.

And it turns my stomach to imagine children going through that in 2020. Through no fault of their own.

Why not feed these kids and try and support parents so that they can feed and clothe their children?

Fucks sake.

Heartless bastards the lot of them.

Made so much worse by the fact that they can still eat (and drink alcohol!) in their subsidised restaurant, claim expenses for meals (and goodness knows what else!) Fucking joke.

did anyone actually watch the debate to find out why the vote went that way?

AllesAusLiebe, that is a slightly myopic way to view the issue - do you not think that childhood poverty increases the chances of adult poverty? There is a moral obligation for any society to change that pattern, prevent the widening of the gap in wealth, prospects and reduce the chances of the childhood poverty becoming the adult poverty that you have referenced. Thinking about how public money is spent overall 'is' relevant, it comes from the same pot. Do we want to subsidise MP's food and drink when their salaries are more than adequate to cover that or do we want to attempt to reduce the gap between those that very much have and those that don't. And to those arguing for targeted help of food provisions for children whose parents neglect their needs, why can't this be done in addition? Why does it have to be one or the other? The reality is, the situation is dire and it needs all the help it can get, the figures speak for themselves in these left behind areas- unemployment, alcoholism, depression, suicide, drug addiction, crime, how can the issues not be thought about holistically?

@Unsure33

did anyone actually watch the debate to find out why the vote went that way?

I have just seen this tweet

"Leaked memo shows Tory whips have emailed their MPs asking them to make “suggested interventions” in the
@marcusrashford
free school meals debate... one “key political point is that Labour didn’t offer free school meals during holidays while in govt""

I must have missed that pandemic and lockdown 10 years ago

@GetOffYourHighHorse - I'm struggling with you I have to admit. You claim to be caring which, being such a staunch Tory, one can only assume means 'caring' in the Tory way - caring about you and yours but literally nobody else. The 'I'm alright Jack' mentality of the old boys' club that is the Conservative party. You also believe that MPs' votes should be private. This is one of the most ridiculous and unintelligent comments I have ever read. You honestly believe that we, whom the MPs are supposed to represent, shouldn't know what they stand for and believe in? How do you propose we vote for the candidates that best represent us? Or, are we supposed to just vote for the same people our parents did (I'm assuming you are from a long line of die-hard, privileged Tory voters from your attitude)?
If they are ashamed of or worried about their votes to the extent of wanting them kept secret do you not think that this means that their votes are less than palatable to many people?
There has been enough secrecy and cover ups in politics and keeping votes secret has no place in a democracy. Your views are astounding and absurd and actually rather frightening.

My MP isn't listed in either list, does this mean she didn't vote ?

No surprise mine is on there. I've shared to local fb groups, hopefully people will remember come election time but I'm not that hopeful. Have to try to let local people know that our views are not being represented.

@ImEatingVeryHealthilyOhYes - I think you might find some of what you need at
www.theipsa.org.uk/mp-costs/annual-publication/ but I've not yet been able to find details of their personal expense receipts - I vaguely remember IPSA declaring they should not be allowed out into the public domain a few years ago but I'm not sure if that decision has been reversed yet.

If I find anything else likely I will post it (or very grateful if anyone else has it to hand).

I am happy to say that my (LibDem) MP voted for the motion. I think almost all non_Tories did, as did 5 Tories.

Let me guess....Sheryll Murray ? She is on every list of reprehensible things the government vote for .

In a perfect world all parents would be both able and willing to feed all their children with enough nutritious food, multiple meals, every day. But we know that for countless reasons, far too many children don't get good, nourishing meals, don't get enough to soothe empty tummies even if it's not good and nourishing.

The fact that not all parents can manage to feed their children is never, NEVER the child's fault, and any society, from a civilised one like ours to the most remote tribes, should recognise that a collective effort is needed to see that the children are fed.

As far as I can work out the arguement against it seems to be "Some children will be going hungry because their parents are neglectful/abuse not just poor. It would be terrible if these parents got the vouchers. So the only logical thing to do is to cancel the whole scheme." The many children who will be going hungry because their parents are poor (rather than shit) don't matter apparently.

Those 'Toryscum' supporting people again. Sunak's latest comments. Mind do any of you watch the HOC? Doubt it.

'You honestly believe that we, whom the MPs are supposed to represent, shouldn't know what they stand for and believe in?'

Look, it's hardly ideal but neither is MPs and their family members getting abused and harassed. This 'scum' thing is disgusting.

I already emailed my MP but I doubt he would care. Its a super safe tory seat and has been forever so I dont see why he would give a fuck.

Yea I agree YourWinter and though I know teachers’ jobs are hard enough already, often they’re the only ones with the chance to notice a child is being neglected. As for what they can do, I’m not sure, presumably there’s a way of flagging them for intervention. I’m not sure just being aware of/keeping an eye on is enough.

@yetanothernamitynamechange

The excuses I have heard so far are
"Kids went hungry under the labour party"
"This is just Labour trying to be popular"
"Its desgined to embarress the government"

Doesn't really need much more to embarrass this poxy government, though.

'Or, are we supposed to just vote for the same people our parents did (I'm assuming you are from a long line of die-hard, privileged Tory voters from your attitude)?'

I think people tend to vote for a party rather than their fave local MP who they know exactly how they vote in commons.

I'm not from a long line of priviliged Tories. I'd happily vote Labour if they ever got their act together, sadly that doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon.

Caroline Ansell, one of the 5 Conservative MPs who voted for the motion has quit in protest at the Conservative party's refusal to back free school meals over the holidays.

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/tory-mp-quits-government-over-refusal-to-extend-free-school-meals/ar-BB1ahNI9?ocid=msedgntp