This MP should be sacked

[acerred]

Disgusting comments. He should be sacked.

I don’t mean there are not any needy children I mean is there any system that would work

The reason they didn't extend school meals into the holidays. £600 million has been already allocated to local councils to target poor families over the holidays

If that is true and ring fenced...why is there a fuss, surely no child will go hungry?
I work in education, no evidence of a share of £600m to feed children here.

Where is he getting the idea that schools and teachers are supposed to be apolitical? Teachers standards don't say that anywhere (there's a bit about not undermining democracy, which is not what the school has done anyway). Does he think school staff shouldn't vote, like The Queen?

Anyone who votes tory should hang their heads in shame.

Friend works in a school a high % of vouchers given out never benefit the child.
Loads of them but joints of meat and sell it for cash .

Well, I mean, if they have a social worker and their parents can't read then the kids clearly don't deserve any food!!

#ToryThinking

I was going to say that Ben Bradley is the Jess Phillips of the Conservative Party (outspoken), albeit from a different viewpoint, although apparently Jess Phillips deleted this tweet 3 days ago;

"Jess Phillips MP (Labour) retweeted @BBradleyMans :
RT @ BBradley_Mans: Some do... dont think that's controversial to say, tbh. Some parents are not good parents and prioritise other things ahead of their kids. Small minority, yes... but some do. Step out of the PC bubble and come live in the real world. twitter.com/jlongstaff/st…"

Yes, it is easy to 'work hard' and 'do the right thing' when your wealthy parents are able to send you to private school, let you doss around at Uni (he dropped out of his first degree) then pay for you to go and have another crack.

Are his parents wealthy? Wiki says Bradley is the chairman of the Blue Collar Conservatives (President Esther McVey) and his dad is a police officer.

"Bradley briefly attended the University of Bath and the University of Salford, but did not complete his undergraduate studies at either. On returning to the East Midlands, he worked in a variety of jobs including as a landscape gardener, bartender and a supermarket shelf stacker. He subsequently attended Nottingham Trent University where he studied politics, graduating in 2013 with a first-class degree."

I suggest the Sec of State for children, Vicky Ford, takes Mr Bradley into the estates he is talking about so disparagingly, and between them, they deal with the problems they actually see. If he is any sort of MP he'll spend every morning of half term serving meals to children at the local church and actually LISTENING TO THEIR PARENTS.

Until he does that, his opinion isn't worth much. And if he refuses to go, the Tories should remove the party whip.

People like him need educating.

I am surprised that people who didn't vote Tory are shocked by what has happened
I am surprised that people who did vote Tory are shocked by what has happened.

Completely agree. We get what we vote for.

Also, I bet the only people who get into trouble for any of those tweets will be working at the school.

If there is a problem with vouchers being misused or sold on, whether to fund an addiction or for other reasons, then a solution to make this difficult or impossible should be sought, not an end to the help.

For some schools, particularly with a small catchment area, opening the school canteen during holidays might be the answer. As an example.

Lots of 'excuses' and justification by BB in the form of ' the money will be given and still not feed the kids'...if he really believes that then do something about it.

Funding has been cut in all areas of public service. If children are going to starve because FSM money is being spent on drugs - it is a very sad and serious indicator of the failings in government policy and spending cuts around more than just FSM. Come on, recognise need and provide public services to support these families.

There might be lots of people in Mansfield who agree with his view but how many of them will be out of work in the coming months? I know someone who had similar views and was made redundant in the summer, funnily enough he has realised that you can't actually live the life of Riley on benefits and has admitted that his view has changed.

So will many of the new benefits claimants agree with him, will GPs who see their kids struggling and their GC going without. I just hope people remember in 4 years time.

@scotsllb

If his statistics about the children in that particular school are true then he wants to get his finger out and do something constructive about his constituency that tackles it effectively rather than moaning about feeding these poor kids Truly awful.

100% this.

Where is he getting the idea that schools and teachers are supposed to be apolitical? Teachers standards don't say that anywhere (there's a bit about not undermining democracy, which is not what the school has done anyway).

Here;
"the guidance stipulates that “all staff have a responsibility to ensure that they act appropriately in terms of their behaviour, the views they express (in particular political views)”.

"It goes on to say that staff must also be appropriate in their use of school resources, and “should not use school resources for party political purposes”.

@picklemewalnuts that comment was mentioned on bbc yesterday morning - I will witness that I heard it & I think I read it (checking... www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8874787/Tory-MP-Ben-Bradley-hit-backlash-suggesting-free-school-meals-cash-went-crack-dens.html
apologies for connecting to Daily Mail but I found it here
apparently Bradley removed original tweet but DM & others printed & connected it before

Mansfield is another turkey town voting a Tory MP in.

@standwitch
When I said he's losing lots of support locally, I meant over the last 6 months or so (sorry I wasn't clear)

It was a big thing locally that voters were "lending" him their votes, and there is plenty of dissent now because people are starting to realise what having a Tory MP means in an area like Mansfield.

He was already the MP before 2019, but more people voted for him last time purely on Brexit. Mansfield is a huge Leave area.

Now that's had to take a step back, other issues are being highlighted and people are becoming less impressed

Sex work isn’t even illegal anyway, is it? He should be all for it. Free enterprise and all that.

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/selaine-saxby-free-food-apology-4637503.amp

It seems he's not the only MP whose remarks were "taken out of context"

Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon, had actually criticised businesses offering free food to these children.

@Tanith

[[https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/selaine-saxby-free-food-apology-4637503.amp]]

It seems he's not the only MP whose remarks were "taken out of context"

Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon, had actually criticised businesses offering free food to these children.

Her deleted tweet: "I am delighted our local businesses have bounced back so much after lockdown that they are able to give food away for free, and very much hope they will not be seeking any further government support." Just disgusting.

I am delighted our local businesses have bounced back so much after lockdown that they are able to give food away for free, and very much hope they will not be seeking any further government support

Tories got to Tory.

Seems her comments were also taken out of context.

twitter.com/SelaineSaxby/status/1319932584252592129

Free school meals is a popularist policy. It's not a particularly efficient way of supporting families, grants for local community kitchens (which are being made from the Covid support funds given to local councils) work much better. Boris missed a trick.

I volunteer with a local community kitchen. Cooked and distributed by volunteers, cheap, healthy, hot meals are distributed to anyone who asks. Much cheaper and effective way of feeding hungry families.

Boris missed a trick

He missed an open goal.
He has lost control of the message and the optics are bad.

The £600m they keep trumpeting about was given to authorities in June and was for community support across all groups - in my city a significant proportion was used for food for older people, people with disabilities & health needs and children. Some of it was used to house homeless people, to support additional support in the absence of day centres/respite. There isn’t any left