Echoes of Thatcher the milk snatcher.
Discussion
Did Gordon Brown leave behind his box of bungles at No 10 when he left?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politic...
The Telegraph said:
The farcical situation is a repeat of a similar situation last month when the the Department of Health said the two-week waiting time target for seeing a cancer specialist from GP referral would remain even though other targets were being scrapped.
But the Prime Minister’s spokesman said it could not be guaranteed.
It is thought No 10 acted again to over-rule health ministers as it was feared comparisons would be made to Margaret Thatcher who was dubbed the "Milk Snatcher" for scrapping free school milk for older children in 1971 when she was education secretary.
It also raised the prospect of more friction within the coalition - as senior Liberal Democrats have previously praised the provision of free milk.
David Willetts, the universities minister, was on the BBC defending the idea to scrap free milk when he was told that a No 10 spokesman had said it would not go ahead.
But the Prime Minister’s spokesman said it could not be guaranteed.
It is thought No 10 acted again to over-rule health ministers as it was feared comparisons would be made to Margaret Thatcher who was dubbed the "Milk Snatcher" for scrapping free school milk for older children in 1971 when she was education secretary.
It also raised the prospect of more friction within the coalition - as senior Liberal Democrats have previously praised the provision of free milk.
David Willetts, the universities minister, was on the BBC defending the idea to scrap free milk when he was told that a No 10 spokesman had said it would not go ahead.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politic...
oh come on, this is a non story.
At best hero Dave says yes to milk for under fives.
A second tier minister considers cuts, that happen to include milk, given that pretty much everything is being looked at it's not surprising, that...
a) it was looked at
and
b) it was rejected as politically dumb.
At best hero Dave says yes to milk for under fives.
A second tier minister considers cuts, that happen to include milk, given that pretty much everything is being looked at it's not surprising, that...
a) it was looked at
and
b) it was rejected as politically dumb.
Heard this on Radio 2 today. News story says "Free milk to remain", Labour mouthpiece said something like "We're glad to hear that they have decided not to remove free milk. It's typical of the government that they planned to remove it".
Except they didn't "plan", did they? They simply looked at it as part of the cuts necessary to repair the f
king great hole that that shower of st left behind.
Except they didn't "plan", did they? They simply looked at it as part of the cuts necessary to repair the f
king great hole that that shower of st left behind. What happened to making tough choices? If they don't have the balls for this one...
Looks like a politician who is more afraid of public perception than sorting out a financial mess.
"Mrs Milton had said the milk scheme was too expensive, and the government was considering increasing the value of Healthy Start vouchers for the poorest families instead.
The health minister, who said there was no evidence the scheme improved health, wrote that the government was looking at abolishing the scheme by April 2011.
She admitted ending the scheme was "highly controversial" but said the programme did not "provide value for money in difficult times" and had "become increasingly outdated".
The cost of the scheme had almost doubled in the last five years, she said.
Running the scheme in England this year cost nearly £50m and would rise to £59m in 2011-12, she added"
So is £50 million to small an amount of money to bother with?
If I was CMD I'd be giving Andy Coulson a kicking, the coalition don't seem to be able to manage the press as effective as Tony and alastair campbell could.
Looks like a politician who is more afraid of public perception than sorting out a financial mess.
"Mrs Milton had said the milk scheme was too expensive, and the government was considering increasing the value of Healthy Start vouchers for the poorest families instead.
The health minister, who said there was no evidence the scheme improved health, wrote that the government was looking at abolishing the scheme by April 2011.
She admitted ending the scheme was "highly controversial" but said the programme did not "provide value for money in difficult times" and had "become increasingly outdated".
The cost of the scheme had almost doubled in the last five years, she said.
Running the scheme in England this year cost nearly £50m and would rise to £59m in 2011-12, she added"
So is £50 million to small an amount of money to bother with?
If I was CMD I'd be giving Andy Coulson a kicking, the coalition don't seem to be able to manage the press as effective as Tony and alastair campbell could.
Edited by Fittster on Monday 9th August 00:09
Fittster said:
So is £50 million to small an amount of money to bother with?
No, its a huge sum of money.A child's nutrition is the responsibility of its parents.
We're drowning in a sea of public sector debt. Borrowing money for a government department to distribute free milk for sprogs is ludicrous in the extreme.
You can just imagine how the distribution / admin costs involved in the whole setup come to £50M.
The world is mad.
Oh, and I drank mile in reception class at infant school. It was not fresh and teacher used to leave it to curdle nicely next to the radiator. It was rancid.
Waste of money then, waste of money now. End of.
Black Sport 160 said:
While we're at it, what the hell are these 'Healthy Start Vouchers'? FFS!
Here you go http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/Seems a bit like the Child Benefit situation to me, in that taxpayer is giving a lot of money to a lot of people who don't need it, rather than less (total) money to only those that do. Looks like CMD has put polularity or the coalition before the sensible option imo.
Btw, diffierences in learning and physical development of children in the poorest environment are noticeable by age 20 months.
Funny, I don't recall the media going all out to crucify Labour when Gordon fked up all of our private pensions, or put us in so much debt that said school kids will still be paying for his inept spending when they're our age.
Compared to what Labour have done, this is but a spit in the ocean.
ked up all of our private pensions, or put us in so much debt that said school kids will still be paying for his inept spending when they're our age.Compared to what Labour have done, this is but a spit in the ocean.
It might have been be a good thing, from what I remember of free milk when I started school in the 80s it was fking vile and put me off drinking milk on its own forever.
ETA:
king vile and put me off drinking milk on its own forever. ETA:
Black Sport 160 said:
Oh, and I drank mile in reception class at infant school. It was not fresh and teacher used to leave it to curdle nicely next to the radiator. It was rancid.
.
Haha, I didn't even read this post before making the above post, glad it wasn't just me then!.
Edited by Oakey on Monday 9th August 10:25
hmmm
“Milk Does the Body Good” – True or False?
Now would be a good time for common sense. When we have babies, we breastfeed them, and then at a certain point, we stop. We don’t breastfeed our grown children, or our husbands or friends, for that matter. It is exactly the same for cows and every other mammal on the planet. They produce milk when they give birth, they feed their young, and then they stop. We are the only species on the planet that drinks the milk of another species. We are the only species on the planet that drinks milk as adults. Why? Because the multi-million dollar dairy industry has convinced us that we need milk for healthy bones. That without cows’ milk, we will shrivel up or shatter. However, Yale researchers found that countries with the highest dairy and meat intakes also suffer the highest osteoporosis rates.
The truth is, we can get adequate calcium from leafy greens, vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, and beans. And again, these foods come without the hormones, steroids, and antibiotics found in dairy.
“Milk Does the Body Good” – True or False?
Now would be a good time for common sense. When we have babies, we breastfeed them, and then at a certain point, we stop. We don’t breastfeed our grown children, or our husbands or friends, for that matter. It is exactly the same for cows and every other mammal on the planet. They produce milk when they give birth, they feed their young, and then they stop. We are the only species on the planet that drinks the milk of another species. We are the only species on the planet that drinks milk as adults. Why? Because the multi-million dollar dairy industry has convinced us that we need milk for healthy bones. That without cows’ milk, we will shrivel up or shatter. However, Yale researchers found that countries with the highest dairy and meat intakes also suffer the highest osteoporosis rates.
The truth is, we can get adequate calcium from leafy greens, vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, and beans. And again, these foods come without the hormones, steroids, and antibiotics found in dairy.
petemurphy said:
hmmm
“Milk Does the Body Good” – True or False?
Now would be a good time for common sense. When we have babies, we breastfeed them, and then at a certain point, we stop. We don’t breastfeed our grown children, or our husbands or friends, for that matter. It is exactly the same for cows and every other mammal on the planet. They produce milk when they give birth, they feed their young, and then they stop. We are the only species on the planet that drinks the milk of another species. We are the only species on the planet that drinks milk as adults. Why? Because the multi-million dollar dairy industry has convinced us that we need milk for healthy bones. That without cows’ milk, we will shrivel up or shatter. However, Yale researchers found that countries with the highest dairy and meat intakes also suffer the highest osteoporosis rates.
The truth is, we can get adequate calcium from leafy greens, vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, and beans. And again, these foods come without the hormones, steroids, and antibiotics found in dairy.
You make a good point.. and could you imagine suggesting to someone "Have you drank sheeps / goats / dogs milk?" they'd turn their nose up in disgust and think you were a bit weird... but cows... yeah.. that's perfectly 'normal'.“Milk Does the Body Good” – True or False?
Now would be a good time for common sense. When we have babies, we breastfeed them, and then at a certain point, we stop. We don’t breastfeed our grown children, or our husbands or friends, for that matter. It is exactly the same for cows and every other mammal on the planet. They produce milk when they give birth, they feed their young, and then they stop. We are the only species on the planet that drinks the milk of another species. We are the only species on the planet that drinks milk as adults. Why? Because the multi-million dollar dairy industry has convinced us that we need milk for healthy bones. That without cows’ milk, we will shrivel up or shatter. However, Yale researchers found that countries with the highest dairy and meat intakes also suffer the highest osteoporosis rates.
The truth is, we can get adequate calcium from leafy greens, vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, and beans. And again, these foods come without the hormones, steroids, and antibiotics found in dairy.
I'm afraid I agree with those who ask why we are providing any free foodstuffs universally. Why stop at milk, why not bread and vegetables, and maybe basic clothing. We could then move on to dormitories and then the parents would be free to waste their money on themselves only. It's a nonsense in a rich society and anyway, is milk really that good a thing for children beyond infancy, and cow's milk? The clue to what it is best for is in the name.
Note to self: type faster!
Note to self: type faster!
Edited by motco on Monday 9th August 10:40
I'm pretty sure that I heard on R4 this morning that it wasn't actually Thatcher that started the ball rolling will removing free milk. It was said that the previous Labour government had already stopped free milk for certain children and that when Thatcher became health secretary it was a non-choice because the milk wasn't being drunk anyway and that most of it was actually just sitting around going to waste. The idea to stop spending money on something that was only being wasted was actually a good thing.
Are the echoes still there?
Are the echoes still there?
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