Tory Ben Bradley, of “Kids growing up in crack dens and brothels,” fame, who didn’t trust parents with funds to feed their children, described the constant stream of Government screw-ups, like the paucity of school lunch ‘hampers,’ as “teething problems” In reality, this is yet another grotesque example of Tories caught with their pants down once again, using public funds for Corporate profiteering. Exposed at Prime Minister’s Questions when the Government guidance on provision of what should be included in free school meals was read out; it contained even less than pictured in the press. Johnson’s trousers sank to his ankles, but then that’s where Boris’s britches are whenever we’re not looking. The standard Tory tactic is to ‘try it on’… trouser the cash and only fix the problem if you are shamed into taking action, but then feel no shame! This Tory Government’s system of relentless corruption is designed to allocate inapropriate contracts without competitive tendering to then function scrutiny free with zero accountability.
In the Canary Article entitled, “Marcus Rashford calls out ‘not good enough’ free school meal parcels,” our persistent national hero demands swift action from the shamed Tory Prime Minister. They say, “Marcus Rashford and other food poverty campaigners have called out inadequate free school meal parcels. Several members of the public said the hampers did not contain enough food, and they would rather have vouchers. The Department for Education has since promised to investigate the parcels, saying they: should be nutritious and contain a varied range of food.” This claim of requiring the ‘hampers’ to be ‘nutritious’ and ‘contain a varied range of food’ is in stark contrast to the document Starmer waved at Johnson during PMQs as “the Government guidance for one child for five days.” He said it includes, “one loaf of bread, two baked potatoes, a block of cheese, baked beans and three individual yogerts;” he then points out that the only items added were, “a tin of sweetcorn, a packet of ham and a bottle of milk.”
The Canary provide a “Free school meals timeline” saying that, “During last year’s term-time lockdown, the government provided families with a £15 voucher every week per pupil to spend on food. According to the Food Foundation, 1.4 million children reported feeling food insecure over the summer holidays. After MPs voted against continuing to provide free school meals during the October half-term, Rashford campaigned for a U-turn. He was partially successful, with the government extending free school meal provision. The government promised free school meals would be available for eligible children during the current lockdown. Meals can be made available through:
• providing food parcels through the school catering team or food provider
• providing vouchers for a local shop or supermarket
• using the Department for Education’s national voucher scheme, which will reopen shortly”
The Canary describe, “Accusations of profiteering,” saying that, “Some people have complained that food providers are profiting from the food hampers: One such company is Chartwells, a part of Compass Group. A Bristol headteacher previously criticised the company in March for its ‘shameful’ food parcels. Until December, Compass Group was chaired by Paul Walsh, former member of David Cameron’s business advisory group.” Warning of, ‘Children left hungry,’ they say, “Once again, this leaves many food insecure children without access to a healthy diet. This will only contribute further to the disproportionate effects of coronavirus (Covid-19) on disadvantaged children. Rashford’s campaign includes thousands of supporters around the country offering food and drink to children in need. However, his real aim is to review food poverty at its roots, with all under-16s receiving free school meals if their parents receive benefits.”
In the Labour List Article entitled, “Inadequate free school meal parcels branded a ‘disgrace’ by Starmer,” Elliot Chappell expresses the Labour Leader’s outrage, but he couldb;t have asked for an easier target to scold our ‘naughty boy’ PM. Chappell says, “Keir Starmer has described the images of inadequate free school meal packages circulating on social media as a “disgrace” and called on the government to take action to make sure that ‘families don’t go hungry in the lockdown’. The Labour leader took to social media this morning to comment on pictures of food packages sent to households for children who qualify for free school meals but are now learning remotely from home during the national lockdown in England. He tweeted: “The images appearing online of woefully inadequate free school meal parcels are a disgrace. Where is the money going? This needs sorting immediately so families don’t go hungry through lockdown.”
Chappell notes that, “Also commenting online, deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said today: “Into whose pockets is the money for free school meals going? Who is profiteering from our hungry children are being provided with disgracefully inadequate meals? ‘The Prime Minister must fix this today. No child should be going hungry and free school meals are not a cash cow.’ One Twitter user had shared a picture of a parcel supposedly comprising £30 worth of food, containing two potatoes, two carrots, three apples, pasta, soreen, three frubes, eight single cheese sandwiches, a tin of baked beans and a loaf of bread. © Twitter/@RoadsideMum The parcel had been provided by Chartwell, a private company contracted by the Department for Education, instead of a £30 food voucher. Parents can opt to either receive a package of food or a voucher.” Some have callously criticized ‘RoadsideMum for her input despite owning a phone capable of taking the picture she posted: a device necessary for zero hours workers to stay on call!
Chappell reports that, “Shadow minister for children and early years Tulip Siddiq slammed the reports emerging online, saying: ‘Images circulating on social media of woefully inadequate food parcels going to families are a serious concern. The Department for Education’s investigation must happen immediately so we know where the money is going. We cannot let children go hungry during this lockdown. The government must get on and deliver the national voucher scheme it has committed to restarting to ensure that all children are able to get the food they need’. The Department for Education has responded to say it is looking into the issue and tweeted: ‘We have clear guidelines and standards for food parcels, which we expect to be followed. Parcels should be nutritious and contain a varied range of food. I will be looking into this urgently,’ the parliamentary under-secretary of state for children and families Vicky Ford told her Twitter followers shortly afterwards in response to the statement from the department.”
But we now know what constitutes ‘Government guidelines!’ Chapprll says, Ford added: “Food parcels should cover all lunchtime meals & be nutritious, we’ve increased funding for parcels & will support local vouchers, national voucher also rolling out ASAP, working night & day on this. Hope your kids are ok.’ But local government minister Simon Clarke characterised the emerging reports on the food packages as ‘a lot of people seeking to whip a storm up’, and added: ‘Too much to hope in age of instant outrage to wait for the facts before jumping in’. Campaigning footballer Marcus Rashford, who pushed the government to provide free school meals to children during the holidays, described one package shared on social media by another recipient as ‘just not good enough’. The Premier League footballer helped to force a government U-turn on free school meals in July and launched a fresh campaign against child food poverty later in the year for free school meals to be extended over the autumn and spring holidays.”
in the Morning Star Article entitled, “‘Parasites of the pandemic’: Chartwells condemned over meagre free school meals provision,” Lamiat Sabin, yells for the Government to, “STEP UP TO THE PLATE” She says, “A firm hired by the government to provide food bags in lieu of free school meals was branded a parasite and corrupt today after a mother revealed the meagre contents of the one she received for her child. She posted a photo of what is supposed to be enough food for 10 days’ lunches for a child studying at home while schools are closed due to the coronavirus lockdown. The purported value of the food is £30, charged to the public purse, but the mother said she calculated it to be worth just over £5. The bag was provided by Chartwells, part of British catering transnational the Compass Group, whose former chairman Paul Walsh was a member of former Tory prime minister David Cameron’s business advisory group.”
Emphasizing that the toffs are taught from an early age the privilege of their vast wealth the disparity in food provision is laid out here. Sabin highlights how, “The food bags were compared with the gourmet-quality food provided by the company to private schools, where meals included tandoori roast pollock and Goan curry of prawns and mussels. The mother’s picture of what is provided to state-school pupils shows a loaf of bread, a tin of beans, eight single slices of cheese, three yoghurt tubes, three apples, two bananas, two carrots, two fruitcake slices, two potatoes, one salad tomato and a small sandwich bag of penne pasta. Tweeting with the handle @RoadsideMum, she wrote: ‘[This was] issued instead of £30 vouchers. I could do more with £30 to be honest.’
Sabin says, “Commenting on the picture, Labour MP Richard Burgon said: ‘This is supposed to be £30 worth of lunches for a child? It looks like yet another case of the government helping its corporate friends become parasites of the pandemic. Hunger is being used as a financial opportunity. Squeezing extra profit from hungry kids. It must stop.’ Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson “must fix this today.’ She asked: “Into whose pockets is the money for free school meals going? Who is profiteering from our hungry children being provided with disgracefully inadequate meals? ‘It is dehumanising, humiliating, callous and cruel. Our kids deserve bette’.” Compare the Tory MPs total disregard for essential nutrition for children to be able to learn, to the hollow Tory rants about the importance of keeping schools open to minimize the negative impact on their education and future life chances. This Tory Government doesn’t even care if poor kids survive their impoverished childhood!
Sabin reports that, “Labour called for the return of the national supermarket voucher scheme, which the government has now committed to restarting for children in receipt of free school meals. Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Geoff Barton urged the government to ‘get a move on’ with reopening the scheme. ‘Schools have been left having to piece together provision by arranging for food parcels and local vouchers. As we have seen from these images online of inadequate food parcels, this can go wrong, and we need the availability of a universal system,’ he said. Chartwells, which on its Twitter page claims to be ‘nourishing young bodies and minds with exceptional food and learning,’ wrote in response to @RoadsideMum’s original post: ‘Thank you for bringing this to our attention, this does not reflect the specification of one of our hampers. Please can you [direct message] us the details of the school that your child attends and we will investigate immediately’.”
In an even more embarrassing rebuttal Chartwells hit back. According to Sabin, “It later released a statement which contested the mother’s claim. It said that the picture ‘shows five days of free school lunches (not ten days) and the charge for food, packing and distribution was actually £10.50 and not £30 as suggested’. Providing the excuse that the parcels were put together ‘at extremely short notice,’ the firm said it was ‘very sorry the quantity has fallen short in this instance’. It also thanked footballer and campaigner against child hunger Marcus Rashford, who had earlier condemned the ‘unacceptable’ provision of food and while calling for the system to be fixed quickly. He had posted pictures of other free school-meal bags, including one with chopped-down vegetables such as half a red pepper, a carrot stub, half a tomato, a quarter of an onion and small portions of cheese and tuna stored in banks’ coin bags.”
Sabin reports that, “The mother who posted the photo to him said that she was unsure whether it had been provided by Chartwells, but added that the school was so ‘disgusted’ by the meagre provisions that it had switched to vouchers.’ The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: ‘We’re aware of those images circulating on social media, and it is clear that the contents of those food parcels are completely unacceptable. The Department for Education is looking into this urgently and the minister for children, Vicky Ford, is speaking to the company responsible and they will be making it clear that boxes like this should not be given to families’.” Referring to these meager rations as a ‘hamper’ of food will give people the deliberately false impression that these paltry supply ration bags actually provide a plentiful amount of wholesome food which is the diametric opposite of the truth. Tory profiteers have no qualms about stealing food from the mouths of hungry kids; they’re caught with pants down again!
In a Skwawkbox Article entitled, “All these are by the same company. Guess which is meant to be 10 days’ food for poor kids and which are for private schools. #RightToFood,” they show pictures comparing what is on offer to the privileged as the poor starve. They report on the, “Scandal of Tories’ treatment of poor children grows as company’s Instagram images of food in private schools are highlighted. Public outrage is growing over an image of a food pack – supposedly £30 worth – supplied by a private company contracted by the government, supposedly to provide ten days’ of nutrition for children in low-income families.” Pictures tell the story of deprivation as, “Images highlighted by journalist Dawn Foster on the company’s Instagram page are only likely to intensify that outrage. The pictures show sumptuous meals provided by the same firm for the children of wealthy families in its private schools, guess which of the ‘meals’ below are for the poor children” the Skwawkbox highlights in this article.
The Skwawkbox feature, “Jack Monroe, who teaches people to create the best meals they can on low incomes, showed what she could obtain for just £20 versus the government’s ‘£30’ packs and without any ‘bulk buy’ discounts.” Again there are reality check images. They say that, “Labour MP Ian Byrne, who is working with footballer Marcus Rashford and others on a ‘#RightToFood’ campaign, has called on people to join the campaign and to sign his petition on the government website. People need to rise up against this outrage. It can no longer be tolerated. Join our campaign to put the ‘Right To Food’ into legislation. Sign the Petition & get involved to fight the evil of food poverty which pervades our communities. #RightToFood — lan Byrne MP (@IanByrneMP)
“The MP spoke recently to SKWAWKBOX about his campaign, along with paediatrics professor Ian Sinha, who explained how poverty and hunger harm children even down to the level of their DNA: please review the video that presents this important research data. Byrne is absolutely right: this can no longer be tolerated. Demand a #RightToFood for everyone in this country. Edit: some are reporting that the parcels are only supposed to be for five days’ food. It’s scarcely less appalling.” Please view the Skwawkbox Article entitled “Poverty Changes childrens DNA and not in a good way; Peadiatrics professor explains.”
Back in October of 2020 a Hospitality and Catering News Article entitled, “MPs enjoy fine dining at work while depriving children of free school meals,” the disgusting abuse of public funding being squandered, pandering to wealthy MPs was horribly exposed in stark contrast to the Tory contempt for the poor. They report that, “MPs enjoy heavily subsidised fine dining and alcohol at the expense of taxpayers every day while in parliament. Treasury figures show that restaurants in the House of Commons last year, were subsidised by the public to the tune of £1.7 million. That figure is only for MPs ‘dining while working’ and does not include expense accounts. Earlier this week, 318 of the MPs that enjoy subsidised work lunches from taxpayers, voted down the motion to provide free school meals for children during holidays.”
Hospitality & Catering News say, “These two facts almost negate any further details, as they perfectly demonstrate one rule for the privileged, who think while they feast children can go hungry. MPs as we reported recently have already awarded themselves a pay rise in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis. It seems that there is no regard by members of parliament for perception, as this cannot be interpreted any other way than, sod you we don’t care. Depriving children of something to eat, whilst enjoying millions of pounds of fine dining takes ‘sod you we don’t care’ to a whole new level, even for MPs. Any normal person with an ounce of decency would see this hypocrisy as indecent. The issue of providing for hungry children has been raised significantly recently by Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford. Growing up in circumstances that help him understand the issue, although now very privileged himself, he has not forgotten those less so.”
Hospitality & Catering News report that, “Following the result of the vote being announced, Rashford said: ‘Child food poverty has the potential to become the greatest pandemic the country has ever faced. ‘I don’t have the education of a politician… but I have a social education having lived through this. These children matter, and for as long as they don’t have a voice, they will have mine.’ A petition to, Stop MPs entitlement to ‘free work meals,’ has been created by 38 Degrees.” The Petition now has more than 1,028,509 signatories. “…Including ours, we encourage readers to follow and stop this inhumane neglect of children. Five Conservative MPs rebelled against their party by voting against the motion. Caroline Ansell not only voted against but also resigned over it, she was the parliamentary private secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. You may be interested to know the MPs that voted against free school meals – They are listed below. There are 318 – 317 Conservatives plus one independent.” Yep, they listed em all!
We cannot continue to condone rgus relentless Tory assault on the public purse; it represents the ruthless pilleging; our preciously reserved public resources, put in place to protect the public good in times of crisis, are being plundered and squandered by Tory profiteers. The full-scale zero accountability system is being very rapidly baked-in, with inappropriate ‘chumocracy’ Tory Government appointments in all sectors, put in place to protect this egregious profiteering for the long-term, no questions asked. We can and we must fight back or the Government enforced starvation of our children will not be the worst or the last assault on the working poor. Austerity, pay freezes and pay cuts lie ahead as post-Brexit inflation hits, but we really did not vote for this so bin the BS! The Covert 2019 Rigged Election was a massive fraud, there were no ‘borrowed votes; just stolen votes. Challenge, fully Investigate and expose the truth to remove this toxic Tory Government from power ASAP, before they cause more harm and steal more cash! DO NOT MOVE ON!