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.

I don't get this. There has never been free school meals in holidays, under any government. There are millions of things that could be free if this is the rationale. If you're too poor to make a sandwich for your kids, are you too poor to buy toilet paper? And in what sense are these free meals? They're paid for by a massively dwindling tax take, which is being plugged by incredible levels of government debt. The UK credit rating was downgraded last week for the second time, so this debt will cost far more to service. It's not free. The debt will still be accruing to our grandchildren. But sure, by all means just make it as simple as "nasty tories".

But sure, by all means just make it as simple as "nasty tories".

But set that alongside the money they have wasted giving bungs to their cronies.

If you're too poor to make a sandwich for your kids, are you too poor to buy toilet paper? And in what sense are these free meals? They're paid for by a massively dwindling tax take

Do you follow Accidently Left Wing on Twitter?

There has never been free school meals in holidays, under any government

There has never been a pandemic either.

@peregrina I did not vote for them and do not support them. They are corrupt and grossly incompetent. But there is no bottomless pit of money - the extent to which they have squandered it does not justify spending even more of it.

@Pumperthepumper I don't know what that is. Just looked it up, quite bizarre but I don't really get twitter!

I don't understand why this is needed during the school holidays.?

Oh!

Are kids able to live on air during the school holidays?

[quote Tootletum]@peregrina I did not vote for them and do not support them. They are corrupt and grossly incompetent. But there is no bottomless pit of money - the extent to which they have squandered it does not justify spending even more of it.[/quote]
Can they not grab some of the wasted billions back because contacts weren't fulfilled?

They have given away billions of pounds, to their cronies, and got nothing in return.

They are helping just not in the holidays.

I don’t think it’s as easy as is suggested.
My partner works for a charity that provides hot meals for local children in a deprived area all over the summer holidays. They had enough food everyday to cater for 50 children.
On an ever age day 4 children showed up!
( I’m glad that those 4 benefited) I feel upset that 46 meals ended up having to waste as no one came for them.

As a last ditch attempt to not waste food they sent out letters, messages throughs schools, social workers etc saying they were happy to deliver the food and again no takers.

So I I totally agree with the concept but delivering it is another matter

I am disgusted at some of the responses on this thread.

How, in a developed country, can we see children going hungry.

These policies disproportionately affect women and children.

When you scroll through the list of MP's, all of whom live a privileged and cosseted lifestyle , it is truly shocking

Only a totally broken human could be so apathetic about children living with hunger.

My parents are Tories and i know they'd be against poor kids having free meals. They'd be coming out with bollocks they'd read about people driving flash cars to food banks so they can't be that poor etc.
My mum was never really able to hold down a job for long due to mental health problems. The work she did do was very poorly paid. She was just lucky my dad had a good job and could pay for everything. I'd like to ask her if she'd married someone else who'd seemed nice but then had buggered off after she had kids, does she feel she'd have been able to financially support us. The answer is no she wouldn't, she'd have needed help from benefits or a food bank.

Needless to say, the useless Tory drone who is my MP is among them. She's nothing but lobby fodder for the right-wing of the Tories, who currently are very much in control.

@LakieLady, we might have the same MP. But probably not, as there isn’t exactly a shortage of lobby fodder.

I do wonder why MPs were awarded an inflation-busting pay rise at a time of crisis, when so many of their constituents are struggling. It can hardly be a bonus for excellent performance, can it? Shame on them for accepting it.

And shame on most Tory MPs for voting to let children go hungry. Their pathetic excuse was that this will stop parents from becoming dependent on the state. Unforgivable.

I live in a privileged area but single parent, made redundant recently Very high rent. I was accepted yesterday for FSM for DD.
My MP voted against it, our PTA are looking to see if there is anything they can do to help.

There's a shocking lack of empathy amongst some of the people on this thread (I got deleted earlier for doing a swear, so I won't do that again).

I feel like some would like us to return to the Victorian concept of the deserving poor. "Oh, they can have money because they grovelled enough in front of the charitable board. But those people can't have any money, because they ameliorate their dreadful living circumstances by smoking or, God forbid, owning a flatscreen TV."

Priestley had it right. We are all members of one body. We are all responsible for each other. And the day will come when that lesson will be taught in fire and blood.

Can they not grab some of the wasted billions back because contacts weren't fulfilled?

To know if they can we'd need to see the contracts, but personally I believe it's more about if they'd want to ... unlikely, I'd have thought, with so many cronies involved

@IndieTara

I live in a privileged area but single parent, made redundant recently Very high rent. I was accepted yesterday for FSM for DD. My MP voted against it, our PTA are looking to see if there is anything they can do to help.

I'm so sorry this is happening to you, @IndieTara.

@GetOffYourHighHorse - for the third time, are you going to address the extremely offensive, ignorant, racist and homophobic comments made by Boris? Or do you just condemn people who say mean things about Tories?

My 14 year old son is disabled and has been receiving mid rate disability benefit for the last 3 years. His circumstances haven't changed, he can't go to school and has care needs much higher than most 14 year olds. I applied back in March with evidence for his benefits to continue. The only chance my son would ever have to become a fully independent adult might be if he could get access to mental health provisions as a child. But he can't because the government has said that autistic children can't access local CAMHS services.

Anyhow to cut a long story short, his benefits have been cut, I received the letter today.

I know that this is a tactic. I know that if I apply for mandatory reconsideration this will be reversed. But I am £200 worse off a month because I will still need to pay for the things he needs.

Luckily I will still have enough money to feed him but, given that I can't work, other things will have to give in the meantime. We haven't been affected by the pandamic particularly but others who will receive such letters will have been.

This is not a government that cares about children or the disabled. Disabled children are particularly screwed.

But yes we should all worry about those poor politicans being called scum.

What I don't support is this minimising of 'scum' comments seen here on this very thread. Seems it's just fine to say 'scum' but not to say 'yeah but no but'? Make your minds up. Unpleasant childish slurs are either ok or they aren't!

Difference is one was justified, the other wasn’t. You can decide which, although I can predict your choice.

Thanks @DontBeShelfish I'm sure there are many patents In Similar straits or worse.

@GetOffYourHighHorse you yourself have said that 'scum' is an 'unpleasant, childish slur', so what is it exactly that you find so offensive about it?

If you had to choose between being called scum by somebody or having your children starve, which would you choose?

It's really weird that you're so hung up on this one word that it's all you have in defense of Boris' despicable insults and actions. It's almost as though you know there is no defence of the Tories behaviour so all you can come up with is 'yeah but no but' and that we should not minimise a grown adult in the field of politics being called an entirely appropriate word for his actions.

Just asked my local MP on his fb page what his reasons were for voting No, wonder if the post will disappear or if I'll get a crappy stock answer 🤔

'for the third time, are you going to address the extremely offensive, ignorant, racist and homophobic comments made by Boris? Or do you just condemn people who say mean things about Tories?'

He made those comments years ago and apologised for them. Of course I won't defend them.

This emotive 'impoverished, starving children' rhetoric is just ridiculous.Those on benefits are in no worse position because of the pandemic so should be able to still feed their kids and if anyone cba to read what Sunak announced today there is financial support for those on low wages impacted by the pandemic.

However, yet again I'll say that I do think they should extend into the school holidays just while there is so much uncertainty (and hysteria) about.