A loaf and a block of cheese is not lunch for ten days THREAD 2

[ZazieSheHer]

A loaf and a block of cheese is not lunch for ten days ORIGINAL THREAD

Supermarkets already do good value food boxes delivered to the door.

All their overheads are built into the cost...not extra. Morrisons even offer a 5 day school lunch box. No picture of that one, but if they can provide equivalent.. of 20 meals for £30 in the one below, I imagine the lunch one would be good value too. www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/box/5-meals-to-feed-a-family-of-4-box

I'm not a parent so maybe I'm not understanding this properly. But even if all they contained was stuff to make cheese sandwiches every day for lunch, then isnt that enough? Presumably the child is also having breakfast, a snack in the afternoon and their tea, right? So what's the big deal?

@CrotchBurn

I'm not a parent so maybe I'm not understanding this properly. But even if all they contained was stuff to make cheese sandwiches every day for lunch, then isnt that enough? Presumably the child is also having breakfast, a snack in the afternoon and their tea, right? So what's the big deal?

Apprently the fsm is the only food some children get, so there's the argument that it should be above requirements for a child being fed at other times to make sure those being abused get enough.

@CrotchBurn

I'm not a parent so maybe I'm not understanding this properly. But even if all they contained was stuff to make cheese sandwiches every day for lunch, then isnt that enough? Presumably the child is also having breakfast, a snack in the afternoon and their tea, right? So what's the big deal?

I wasn’t on the last thread, I’m not sure if you were, but I think part of why this has become a big deal is not the amount of food given (which can be argued back and forth whether it’s adequate or not) but the amount that a private company is charging the government to put these food hampers together- apparently charging £30 for a hamper of food that people have costed at under £10. Yes, they’ll have other costs- staffing, premises etc but appear to be making a huge profit, and apparently those who’ve looked into it have discovered the boss of the overarching company to be a Tory donor.

Having a little look its compass, ceo paul wash

Also looks like he's resiging.

Also he may be a tory donor (private) but the group isn't.

This dates back to the Cameron days though where he's also been in charge of the mclarengroup, and on the board of Unilever, FedEx, and mcdonalds.

Are we going to say "mcdonalds" is a tory donor?

FedEx?

Compasses also literally the largest catering company in the world it seems.

Do people really think a company with 25 billion in revenue is deliberately at a high ceo level defrauding free school meals?

Or is it more that a group that big the part doing this is so far removed from management the box was literally what Kenneth in the office thought was about right?

@CrotchBurn

I'm not a parent so maybe I'm not understanding this properly. But even if all they contained was stuff to make cheese sandwiches every day for lunch, then isnt that enough? Presumably the child is also having breakfast, a snack in the afternoon and their tea, right? So what's the big deal?

You're not understanding it properly.

This has been all over the news. The point is families have been allicated £30 worth of food and are receiving £5 worth. Someone is troysering the other £25.

@LittleRa
Well if that Tory donor thing is true then that's terrible. I would have assumed they would use the same companies as for standard school lunches.

@Sinful8
These aspect does oorn a whole can of worms re where the line is at which point society takes over from parents.

There isnt a clear answer to this. On the one hand it doesnt seem right that society foot the bill for people who decided to have children.
On the other hand, it is definitely not right for a child to go hungry. Maybe instead of bread and cheese etc they should have filled these boxes up with tins of stuff such as baked beans, ravioli, chile con carne etc.

Or maybe (this sounds dystopian) but they should have opened pop up canteens in schools for children on fsm to continue coming in for their lunch. They would have had to rearrange how they organised things but maybe that would have been surer than doing it this way.

The political intrigue story is sexier though

@Sinful8

Having a little look its compass, ceo paul wash

Also looks like he's resiging.

Also he may be a tory donor (private) but the group isn't.

This dates back to the Cameron days though where he's also been in charge of the mclarengroup, and on the board of Unilever, FedEx, and mcdonalds.

Are we going to say "mcdonalds" is a tory donor?

FedEx?

Are McDonald’s or FedEx providing a public service for a huge profit?

My post didn’t say “Compass, the company, is a Tory donor”, it said “The boss is a Tory donor”. Is that untrue?

Anyway, I was replying to the poster who asked “So what’s the big deal?” to explain that is isn’t just about the actual food given, but a few other things going on behind the scenes.

Troysering?? Nice new word. Should be trousering.

"My post didn’t say “Compass, the company, is a Tory donor”, it said “The boss is a Tory donor”. Is that untrue?"

Define boss?

As he's not the boss of the company that made those boxes, he's the boss of the outsourcing company that owns that company.

" Are McDonald’s or FedEx providing a public service for a huge profit?"

Yes. Working Tax credits their profit is subsidised by the public. In exchange for providing slightly unprofitable work

@CrotchBurn

www.independent.co.uk/news/business/chartwells-free-school-meals-history-b1786258.html

www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/12/school-dinners-row-shines-light-on-role-of-catering-firms-chartwells-compass

@Sinful8

"My post didn’t say “Compass, the company, is a Tory donor”, it said “The boss is a Tory donor”. Is that untrue?"

Define boss?

As he's not the boss of the company that made those boxes, he's the boss of the outsourcing company that owns that company.

" Are McDonald’s or FedEx providing a public service for a huge profit?"

Yes. Working Tax credits their profit is subsidised by the public. In exchange for providing slightly unprofitable work

My first post did say “the boss of the overarching company.

Ok, I don’t really know much about the McDonald’s and FedEx points you’re making, but great- thanks for bringing those to people’s attention too so they can be more aware. When you asked “should we say McDonald’s is a Tory donor too? FedEx?” Erm, yes, if they are? Or are you using a bit of “whataboutery”? As in, well if those companies are a bit rubbish well what can you expect from others?

Anyway, what are your thoughts on the amount of food provided for £30? (No comment needed on the general amount/quality/type of food- just whether it is worth £30).

Okay I just read a guardian article that included a photo of one woman's food parcel (I've added it here). That is clearly not worth £30

There isnt a clear answer to this. On the one hand it doesnt seem right that society foot the bill for people who decided to have children.

This attitude is completely wrong-headed. A society is exactly that - a society - an interdependent community.

We subsidise poorer pensioners for example, through Pension Tax Credit. They had a whole life to save. Maybe we shouldn't 'foot the bill' for them either.

Anyone who thinks a civilised society shouldn't feed hungry children needs to brick themselves in and think things through some more.

@CrotchBurn

I'm not a parent so maybe I'm not understanding this properly. But even if all they contained was stuff to make cheese sandwiches every day for lunch, then isnt that enough? Presumably the child is also having breakfast, a snack in the afternoon and their tea, right? So what's the big deal?

The reason for supplying FSM at home is so that children don't go hungry. They would still be going hungry with just a cheese sandwich for lunch. Yesterday for lunch, my 5 year old had a ham and cheese mini wrap, a handful of cherry tomatoes and some sliced cucumber, an apple and a yogurt and she still wanted a snack within half an hour. She is slim and active. I think a lot of people without young kids underestimate how much food they need.

@inquietant
Your analogy is messed up. Pensioners dont choose old age, it happens to them. Parents choose to have children. Pensioners have nobody else legally responsible for them. Children are the legal responsibility of their parents.

Some of the £30 food 'hampers' are worth £3. I agree about the trousering.

Ministers and executives have made tits of themselves over this. Egg on face, wrong place for egg.

@CrotchBurn the idea of a pop up canteen sounds lovely, but it sort of defeats the object of schools being closed. Quite a few of the children that are receiving these boxes either wouldn’t get taken daily to school for food because it either costs a bus fare/involves a trip and for some parents, if they are not allowed to be in school (ie don’t hit the vulnerable criteria of health needs/social care involvement) then they won’t be taking the kids up to be fed, especially if the parents then don’t get fed either.
Some kids would be told just to go up and not got there, or would then say ‘but my mums not coming back til half three for me’ and when school is already at the limit of its places...... Thats not all parents, but just based on what I know of some areas.
A box they can go round and donate is better for the school, but they should have control over the contents.

However this whole thing shows a worrying thing about what some people thing kids should be eating for lunch really, compared to the decent meals they get in school thank god. Its just so sad, and whilst I get that some areas had an issue with vouchers not being used as they should, that is a complete joke

@PodgeBod
Well in that case I take back what I said. I didnt realise a sandwich for lunch wouldnt be enough!

[quote CrotchBurn]@inquietant
Your analogy is messed up. Pensioners dont choose old age, it happens to them. Parents choose to have children. Pensioners have nobody else legally responsible for them. Children are the legal responsibility of their parents.[/quote]
I think you dropped your humanity somewhere along the way . Apologies if you've had a tough time and that is why you are so hard-hearted.

Children didn't choose to be born into families where their parents developed a disability and couldn't work, or lived in an area with no decent jobs.

That is exactly the point - shit happens, society helps.

At least societies comprised of decent people do.

I simply am ashamed that this is the way as a country we treat kids in need. Thank goodness for social media so we actually publicise stuff like this. It’s like it’s Oliver Twist all over again.

@inquietant
You know what, you are completely right.