This MP should be sacked

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Disgusting comments. He should be sacked.

From the delightful Ben in 2012:

Families who have never worked a day in their lives having four or five kids and the rest of us having one or two means it’s not long before we’re drowning in a vast sea of unemployed wasters that we pay to keep!

Thank you for sharing this OP. As a teacher in a deprived area of the North East, I was disgusted to read that some local Tory MPs justified their vote against the school holiday meals by saying they had “been told” that the vouchers had been used for cigarettes, alcohol and “unhealthy food”. First of all- they’d been “told”?! Wtf. Well I’ve been “told” all Tory MPs spend their wages on rent boys so we should sack them. Doesn’t really work does it, that you’ve been “told” something. Especially when then vouchers (certainly in my area, and it seems in the area in the picture OP has posted) the vouchers were unable to be spent on cigarettes, alcohol or gambling products. And finally- “unhealthy food”? Yes, and? It’s food isn’t it? Is there a stipulation what you have to buy with them? Must you buy organic quinoa from Waitrose? When you can get a frozen pizza for 69p or an aubergine for £1.20 what do you think you’re going to buy for your kids?
Also remember: CHILDREN have not chosen their socio-economic status. Children are powerless to change it. Children do not get to choose if their parents are rubbish with money. And we are in the middle of a pandemic.
Nasty party.

You cannot sack an MP. In some circumstances, where an MP has broken the law, constituents can raise a petition to get them “recalled” - sacked, effectively. Only two have ever been sacked in this way.

The vouchers were issued via a government scheme that took ages to launch and was ridiculously difficult to use If they weren't restricted re the purchase of cigarettes and alcohol, whose fault would that be?

@RunBackwards

The vouchers were issued via a government scheme that took ages to launch and was ridiculously difficult to use If they weren't restricted re the purchase of cigarettes and alcohol, whose fault would that be?

They were restricted to food in my area (teacher in the North East) and it looks like in the area in the OP’s picture. I know each council may have had slightly different variations though so can’t speak for all.

The member of staff at the school that wrote it is the one who needs sacking. Whatever the rights and wrong of what the MP said, no employee at a school should be writing such politicised bile which will be a total breach of their code of conduct.

Generally I would agree but professionals have an absolute right to comment on areas in which they have specialist knowledge.

The post is correcting lies about the community they serve. There is no bile, the only subjective comment is that his comments are shocking.

There is simply no way 75% of children in one school would have individual CP social workers and it's very unlikely a school would have asked parents whether they were illiterate.

If that were true then its a huge reason to vote for the FSM scheme.

The post is slightly emotive (though for understandable reasons) but there is nothing which actually violates teacher standards.

I have to admit I did think they were restricted, which makes that MP look even more stupid. It was a national scheme, so they will all have been the same.

Also, in my local authority, at the height of the lockdown we could choose whether to do the vouchers or to use the funding to make actual physical food parcels. We did the food parcels for a while because it was much easier for families to have the food immediately and not have to go to the shops, maybe if they had people self isolating in the home, had young children (who weren’t allowed in shops at one point in the lockdown), mobility problems, didn’t live near the right shop that took the vouchers etc. Families collected these from school but for some families our Head and deputy took them to their houses. We even delivered Easter eggs to our most vulnerable children.

He also claimed that the headmaster of one of his schools agreed with him that the FSM scheme wouldn't work and wasn't needed. A school governor promptly responded saying that they'd spoken to the head who had fiercely denied this and felt very strongly that FSM are needed.

Ben Bradley seems like a truly horrible person. I picture him as an archetypal playground bully who is now in a position of power. Dishonest and dangerous. I really can't stand the man.

@Eviebeans the chances are they were educated whilst a labour goverment was in power if they have primary school age children
But regardless under any education system children who attend should come out being able to read and write ,

@raddledoldmisanthropist

From the delightful Ben in 2012:

Families who have never worked a day in their lives having four or five kids and the rest of us having one or two means it’s not long before we’re drowning in a vast sea of unemployed wasters that we pay to keep!

Just awful. And by not supporting children who are born in the families of ‘unemployed wasters’ are we giving them a chance to go a different route or just create a systemic issue? Them and us. Divisional politics. Typical tories.

And schools are supposed no be impartial wether they like it or not

@northernparent68

That’s not what he said.

May I ask how that isn't what he said? Is the twitter screenshot fake?

Ben Bradley is due to defend his comments shortly on BBC News. Can’t wait.

@Marieg10

The member of staff at the school that wrote it is the one who needs sacking. Whatever the rights and wrong of what the MP said, no employee at a school should be writing such politicised bile which will be a total breach of their code of conduct.

This is what funnily enough, is similar to what a (BAME) government minister was referring to last week with teachers spewing their own political views to children. They should keep it to themselves and get on with doing what they are paid to do..and teach our kids

The choice of what we teach our children IS political.

Them and us. Divisional politics. Typical tories.

That's a lot of irony in a few words. I don't think BB is a typical Tory. There have always been gits like this in the Tories (as there have always been a few nutters in Labour) it's just that the latest cohort of MPs are incredibly poor quality.

Still there are loads of good MPs who want to make their constituents lives better. We shouldn't lower our expectations by thinking this is remotely normal for either party.

And schools are supposed no be impartial wether they like it or not

Not impartial on facts. The school didn't ask people to vote against him they asked him to withdraw an obviously false attack on their pupils.

Loads of Tory MPs harbour such opinions, most are just a bit cleverer at keeping them to themselves most of the time unless in similar company. Rather than calling for him to be sacked we might consider as a nation stopping voting for this party. Not holding my breath!

@Marieg10

The member of staff at the school that wrote it is the one who needs sacking. Whatever the rights and wrong of what the MP said, no employee at a school should be writing such politicised bile which will be a total breach of their code of conduct.

This is what funnily enough, is similar to what a (BAME) government minister was referring to last week with teachers spewing their own political views to children. They should keep it to themselves and get on with doing what they are paid to do..and teach our kids

@Marieg10

politicised bile?

Surely politics should be about the care and welfare of society - and especially the youngest in our society? Otherwise, what's it for?

Or do you actually agree with his views?

@ByGrabtharsHammerWhatASavings you don't know a person works in a brothel because they need the money to feed their child you are purely guessing it could be for numerous reasons ;
Could be being forced to , or to feed a drug habit , or even because maybe they actually want to or yes it could be to top yo money for family
And many more reasons beside
As a society we need to be looking at more why children aren't eating as im sure the vast majority on benefits feed their children , so for those that can't why ?
Is it higher incidence in places where rent is high ? ( i would suspect yes )
Higher with drug / alcohol dependence parents
Lower education
Lack of money management knowledge
Then we tackle those as a child still goes hungry even if money is given if it's not lack of money that is the main issue
No one has campaigned or cared about fsm in the holidays before now and there will be parents struggling who don't qualify for fsm as well , if you have lost jobs and have high mortgage then benefits won't cover , we should also be looking at the wider issues and what we can do

@ToadyMcToadface

He also claimed that the headmaster of one of his schools agreed with him that the FSM scheme wouldn't work and wasn't needed. A school governor promptly responded saying that they'd spoken to the head who had fiercely denied this and felt very strongly that FSM are needed.

Ben Bradley seems like a truly horrible person. I picture him as an archetypal playground bully who is now in a position of power. Dishonest and dangerous. I really can't stand the man.

Where does he say that? I can't see it?

Honestly I think a lot of what Ben says is in line with what his constituents think. He's the kind of guy who thinks he's just saying what everyone else is thinking.
Strangely, and I shake my head whenever I see his twitter feed, in person he's quite a nice bloke. I'm pretty sure he's too new to have voted on any gay rights legislation.

His point would be that some of the parents that fail to feed their children are feckless, and a £20 tesco voucher won't mend that and won't get near the kids.

The scheme won't get near the kids that need it most, won't help the kids that actually are starving in the holidays, it will go to families that prioritise feeding their kids anyway. It will help them, but not the ones most in need.

I've never voted conservative.

@Acommonreader

Ben Bradley is due to defend his comments shortly on BBC News. Can’t wait.

Just turned BBC news on. Has it happened yet?

Was he the one who upon being reelected had a massive rant on live TV about someone or other (not sure, was very tired at that point in proceedings!)? If so he came across as a complete thug.

I am so disgusted by the vote agains FSMs. With furlough ending and Brexit looming, so many young children in the UK will suffer.

Can there be a Mumsnet campaign of sorts? Our local food banks will support families with fresh food during half-term. The thought of children going hungry in neighbourhoods up and down the country is too much.

The scheme won't get near the kids that need it most, won't help the kids that actually are starving in the holidays, it will go to families that prioritise feeding their kids anyway. It will help them, but not the ones most in need.

But I'm not sure that's true. Money which can only be spent on food and is specifically marked as for their children would stand a pretty good chance of helping the vulnerable, chaotic or simply poor parents I've known. It's certainly their kids who need it most.

Yes it's a sticking plaster, but so is everything being done at the moment.