Which would you choose?
Actually yes Sir! But possibly this for the next five days?
Perhaps a highly-paid final salary pensioned bureaucrat will tell the Surrey children who receive these lunch parcels, how they split that banana and the orange into five? And who eats a baked potato of that size for lunch? Really, – you couldn’t make it up? Here at the WW, we have calculated that the food in this picture – which we understand includes bottled water – what’s wrong with the tap – comes to around £8 with careful shopping – the remaining £7 of the £15 provided by us, the taxpayer, goes in – yes, you guessed – administrative costs. However, we should point out that parents we have spoken to, do not wish to appear ungrateful, saying ‘every little helps,’ and there is ‘no taste to nothing!’
However, having watched the television coverage, we find it difficult to understand why some of the mothers who are bitterly complaining are also sporting acrylic nails at thirty pounds a time – plus 2/3 week weekly infills at £15! Parents too have a responsibility to recognise that feeding their families must be their top priority.
On 21st October 2020, MPs voted down Marcus Rashford’s bid to extend free school meals over half term.
The general sentiment was that:
“Conservative ideas of a small state, individual responsibility and upholding the value in the institution of the family should be maintained”
i.e. the state (taxpayers) should not fund these meals and families should be held responsible.
If this is the case, is it not hypocritical to expect the state to subsidise MPs meals in parliamentary canteens? Surely, if they cannot afford meals on their generous salaries, their family should help to pay for them? Or perhaps we should be funding similar sized food parcels?
Perhaps Surrey County Council’s Press Office will explain how they account – to the last penny – for these meagre rations. Please, Sirs, we want more?
Paul Follows, The Deputy Leader of Waverley Borough Council, is seeking an explanation from the county council and would like to hear from anyone affected at Paul.Follows@Waverley.gov.uk
Is this the same Conservative Group at County Hall that launched the Big £100 million Fund (election bribe) just a few weeks ago? I suppose they must think the parents of free school meals children won’t vote for them anyway?
Where is the great local community spirit that Tim Oliver keeps bleating about?
Most County Councils (all conservative led) are asking the government to delay the elections until September as the pandemic would make holding them in May unrealistic.
Whilst a delay now is inevitable, at least it will allow for proper local campaigning.
My message to the Tories at County Hall is: “You day of reckoning will come – just leave the keys in the door on the way out”