Marcus Rashford - School Meals Vouchers Campaign

[Tankrizzo]

cb31 said:

Is that a bad thing, it seems like you don't agree with it? He does the right thing and people complain, he doesn't do anything and people complain.

Weird isn't it, we accuse politicians of failing to listen, and when they do, we accuse them of u-turning and weak leadership. Very odd.

[mx5nut]

mikal83 said:

crankedup said:

Where’s Jamie Oliver?

Well Linekar has jumped on the bandwagon.

If only more people jumped on the "be a decent person to hungry children" bandwagon, the world would be a better place.

One of the good sides to electing a populist PM is that Johnson has now jumped on the bandwagon too

[anonymous-user]

Eric Mc said:

Let poor people starve - the mantra of a certain section of society.

Hard to fathom really.

Really Eric? Not a section I’ve ever met.

[V8covin]

chrispmartha said:

Why does the government need to help children that are being left hungry because of the effects of a global pandemic?

Really?

It will be a minority, pandemic or no pandemic.Some will always slip through the safety net,wether that be bad parenting or the system not fulfilling needs.
So I say again, there's a charity with £20 million in the coffers.....and presumably continuing to raise more.
Why does the taxpayer need to step in ?

Should the taxpayer step in for every need ?

[Mafffew]

G_Morto said:

cb31 said:

Is that a bad thing, it seems like you don't agree with it? He does the right thing and people complain, he doesn't do anything and people complain.

Surely it says something about his leadership when he’s having to make U-turns on so many decisions...

And on something so basic as ensuring children are fed. Pathetic that it has to come to this in the first place.

[bitchstewie]

V8covin said:

It will be a minority, pandemic or no pandemic.Some will always slip through the safety net,wether that be bad parenting or the system not fulfilling needs.
So I say again, there's a charity with £20 million in the coffers.....and presumably continuing to raise more.
Why does the taxpayer need to step in ?

Should the taxpayer step in for every need ?

No and I don't believe anyone is suggesting that they should step in for every need.

There are things where the very basics of being a decent society would expect Government to step in long before footballers or charities need to do so.

How are children supposed to feed themselves?

[greygoose]

G_Morto said:

cb31 said:

Is that a bad thing, it seems like you don't agree with it? He does the right thing and people complain, he doesn't do anything and people complain.

Surely it says something about his leadership when he’s having to make U-turns on so many decisions...

Indeed, helping hungry children does not seem to be a difficult decision to make, the cost is relatively inexpensive given the billions being thrown about at the moment so why not agree and go for the easy win, rather than being shamed into doing it due to the threat of a backbench rebellion?

[WJNB]

Like many others he goes on & on about his mother being a sole parent of 5 kids but no mention of the father(s). Interesting eh?

[valiant]

cb31 said:

valiant said:

Annnnd he’s u-turned

Is that a bad thing, it seems like you don't agree with it? He does the right thing and people complain, he doesn't do anything and people complain.

Where have I said it’s a bad thing?

I’ve posted on this very thread in favour of extended the scheme. Maybe once, just once, this government doesn’t wait until public opinion decides on what and when they should do the right thing and show some leadership and do the right thing from the off.

Again, this could have been an easy win for the government but yet again they seem slow and incapable of making quick, snap decisions and end up constantly on the back foot desperately trying to catch up and looking uncaring in the process. It doesn’t take a Cummings genius to realise that the government would never win this one as ‘starving kids’ is never a good look and should have extended the scheme the moment the issue was highlighted.

Edited by valiant on Tuesday 16th June 13:32

[anonymous-user]

rustyuk said:

My Mrs did some volunteering at my sons old primary school before free meals for all were introduced. She has paid for more than one lunch for the kids there.

The school amazingly refused to feed some of the children as their parents simply never paid and had large debts. From what I understand a few children just stopped asking and stayed outside all lunch. The meals were £2 a day.

Heartbreaking really!

Reminds one of being a kid, there were some serious issues at home and I was lucky to get one meal a day, sometimes I just gave any food I could get to my younger brothers. Being genuinely starving to the point you might cry or eat paper or board chalk to get to hunger pain to go away is not fun! if there is a way to stop other kids going through this then I'm behind it! Some parents are utter aholes and will play the system, but this is not the fault of the children.

[mx5nut]

V8covin said:

So I say again, there's a charity with £20 million in the coffers.....and presumably continuing to raise more.

They're short by £100 million so far.

V8covin said:

Why does the taxpayer need to step in ?

Because we live in a civilised country.

[JagLover]

G_Morto said:

cb31 said:

Is that a bad thing, it seems like you don't agree with it? He does the right thing and people complain, he doesn't do anything and people complain.

Surely it says something about his leadership when he’s having to make U-turns on so many decisions...

The voucher scheme was brought in to replace FSM.

FSM never applied in the summer holidays.

[young_bairn]

This place is the pits nowadays, it really is. Attitudes so out of kilter with my own I wonder why I log in.

Well done Marcus Rashford. As a recipient of free meals when I was at School, I know how much help that is to the child and parent/parents.

[Mafffew]

WJNB said:

Like many others he goes on & on about his mother being a sole parent of 5 kids but no mention of the father(s). Interesting eh?

Why is that interesting? What is your point?

[Digga]

bhstewie said:

bhstewie said:

Anyone think we may see a reverse ferret from the Government on this one?

Remarkable

Right result but it does make you wonder why they did it the hard way.

Does not surprise. The political class are, in differing ways, all insulated from reality. Tories seem to have the same blindspots for some reason...

[JagLover]

ash73 said:

Agree, well done that lad. Heartfelt letter and successful campaign; his family should be very proud of him.

Why aren't all benefits paid as vouchers? Then it won't be wasted on cigarettes, booze, lottery tickets etc.

Impossible to police effectively no doubt and little to stop vouchers being sold at a discount for hard cash to buy all the other items you mention, plus drugs.

[dlks151]

WJNB said:

Like many others he goes on & on about his mother being a sole parent of 5 kids but no mention of the father(s). Interesting eh?

And here was me thinking the same. I stopped at the two I could afford and give a decent upbringing to, I didn't plan on having tens of thousands more that I would have to pay for.

[snuffy]

"Everyone in the UK needs to pay more tax. But not me, obviously" said every tax payer in the UK.

[Dromedary66]

Mafffew said:

WJNB said:

Like many others he goes on & on about his mother being a sole parent of 5 kids but no mention of the father(s). Interesting eh?

Why is that interesting? What is your point?

Personally I think having 5 children when you cannot even feed them is utterly negligent and the behaviour of a st human being.

[Zirconia]

Press conference going to be interesting.

"it was the "right" thing to do at the "right" time and it was never our intention etc. etc."