Marcus Rashford

[TimRam]

If children are going hungry then surely their parents must be as well? Maybe I am missing something but if I was that child my Mum and Dad would have got rid of ALL non-essentials, phone, tv etc and gone hungry themselves rather than let me go without even a bowl of porridge for breakfast. Has anyone spoken to a parent where they cannot afford to feed their children properly? This should not be happening in this day and age...certainly not with the help on offer.

[GboroRam]

1 minute ago, TimRam said:

If children are going hungry then surely their parents must be as well? Maybe I am missing something but if I was that child my Mum and Dad would have got rid of ALL non-essentials, phone, tv etc and gone hungry themselves rather than let me go without even a bowl of porridge for breakfast. Has anyone spoken to a parent where they cannot afford to feed their children properly? This should not be happening in this day and age...certainly not with the help on offer.

I think we all acknowledge that some parents don't look after their children. Unfortunately when the parents fail the children, it's the child who suffers. It doesn't matter what help the parents are given, if they don't care about the welfare of their children the child is the one who is in trouble.

[TimRam]

Just now, GboroRam said:

I think we all acknowledge that some parents don't look after their children. Unfortunately when the parents fail the children, it's the child who suffers. It doesn't matter what help the parents are given, if they don't care about the welfare of their children the child is the one who is in trouble.

Totally agree and the parents need to be investigated. Definately if children are arriving at school without having a proper breakfast. That's shocking.

[maxjam]

6 minutes ago, uttoxram75 said:

Absolutely, we should always question why one of the richest countries in the world has hunger and poverty at all.

I'd agree with that. 

We'd need to look at a wide range of issues prior to reforming the welfare state however, otherwise you'd just be throwing good money after bad - but thats probably as much politics as I'm allowed ?

[GboroRam]

Just now, TimRam said:

Totally agree and the parents need to be investigated. Definately if children are arriving at school without having a proper breakfast. That's shocking.

There's lots going on in the lives of some families, and without trying to excuse it, stigmatising it as bad parenting doesn't really help. Mental health issues, chronic neglect running through generations, addiction, domestic violence - sometimes the parents aren't in a position to look after their own wellbeing, let alone care for another.

[ariotofmyown]

4 minutes ago, uttoxram75 said:

Absolutely, we should always question why one of the richest countries in the world has hunger and poverty at all.

 

Easy, it's because poor people are often too lazy to get good jobs. Then when we give them money for food, they often spend it all in crack dens and brothels.

Now don't get this out of context. I clearly didn't say that all of them are like this. If pushed, I'll admit this is probably very few people who are like this, and that many people who can't afford to feed their kids properly, actually work very hard but aren't paid enough to get by.

But it was very important to get the slurs in early as this is how we've always operated. Enough people will remember the slurs. Remember how we demonised people on benefits during the halcyon days of the coalition, before moving onto EU immigrants when needed?  You love us.

[ariotofmyown]

5 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

I think we all acknowledge that some parents don't look after their children. Unfortunately when the parents fail the children, it's the child who suffers. It doesn't matter what help the parents are given, if they don't care about the welfare of their children the child is the one who is in trouble.

Maybe these feckless parents shouldn't have had the kids if they knew they wouldn't be able to feed them if a global pandemic meant they lost their jobs. Wasters.

[WhiteHorseRam]

1 hour ago, G STAR RAM said:

I think we should feed hungry children. 

I dont think free school meals during the school holidays is the correct solution or tackles the underlying problems.

Additional support was made available at the beginning of this pandemic so I dont understand why this has become a major issue all of a sudden.

I agree with your top two lines.

Third line - its a cause celebre. Mr Rashford has thrown a light on it at a point when everyone is urinated off with the Covid thing. It's all a bit cheesy watching him load vans with easy peelers, but he has a point.

Its front and centre as the Media are smelling blood, with unlikely Brexitty Tory MPs (and even Monsieur Farage) having a pop at an increasingly knackered looking Govt.

[Comrade 86]

32 minutes ago, maxjam said:

I also find it ironic that the person behind the campaign earns more in one week than the Prime Minister earns in a full year.  Whilst it doesn't fall on footballers to fund free school meals I heard yesterday that if every PL footballer gave up just 1% of one weeks wages that would raise £70m - this campaign is about raising £20m.

Come on Max! Are you seriously suggesting shifting the burden of duty from the government to footballers? What Johnson earns is completely irrelevant - you do understand that it's not Boris who would foot the bill, but the Exchequer, right?

Rashford has probably done more than any politician, Tory, Labour or any other flavour, to get this issue addressed, including spending his free time working with his mum to get kids in his locality fed. Are you seriously suggesting that he should be paying to feed the nation's kids as well? 

And as for the history lesson, how do past issues negate the current need? Are we to say to kids going hungry, man up, kids have gone hungry before? Your argument makes no sense at all.

This isn't politics this is basic humanity. Why is this so hard to understand or are you so jaded and cynical that you think folk would not be up in arms were another party in power? I'm afraid if you can only see 'a loaded question to beat the government with' as the sole premise of the thread, then you are completely lost my friend! 

I try to stay out of these arguments these days, likewise the thinly veiled politicking on the Covid thread, but I'm genuinely astounded by some of the responses I've read in reference to this particular issue, though I should point out, yours rather less than some others which are not even worthy of a response.

[ariotofmyown]

1 hour ago, G STAR RAM said:

I dont think free school meals during the school holidays is the correct solution or tackles the underlying problems.

"I'm hungry as my parents have lost their jobs and my main meal of the day is the one I get at school."

"Sorry young Billy, we could feed you now, but it wouldn't address the underlying problems."

"But it's 7 days until I'm back at school."

 

[maxjam]

2 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

Come on Max! Are you seriously suggesting shifting the burden of duty from the government to footballers? What Johnson earns is completely irrelevant - you do understand that it's not Boris who would foot the bill, but the Exchequer, right?

Rashford has probably done more than any politician, Tory, Labour or any other flavour, to get this issue addressed, including spending his free time working with his mum to get kids in his locality fed. Are you seriously suggesting that he should be paying to feed the nation's kids as well?

Nope, I quite clearly said, 'Whilst it doesn't fall on footballers to fund free school meals...'

 

3 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

And as for the history lesson, how do past issues negate the current need. Are we to say to kids going hungry, man up, kids have gone hungry before. Your argument makes no sense at all.

Thats not the argument I was making, simply pointing out that it is being used by some people to beat the current Government over the head with, yet it is a long standing issue regardless of who is or has been in power.

 

4 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

This isn't politics this is basic humanity. Why is this so hard to understand or are you so jaded and cynical that you think folk would not be up in arms were another party in power? I'm afraid if you can only see 'a loaded question to beat the government with as the sole premise of the thread, then you are completely lost my friend!

I agree and I'd be for taking a long hard look at numerous issues we face in this country and reforming the Welfare State - but I am also wary of too much State interference in our lives and believe that families should be given more support with parental responsibility encouraged.

I also pointed out the the Government aren't letting children starve - regardless of covid, those on benefits are still receiving benefits (inc child support).  They have also had an additional £1k payment this year - thats only £20/week but even with a few months off, kids are at school most of the year.  You really have to question why kids are going hungry and not just throw more money at it.

[GboroRam]

5 minutes ago, maxjam said:

Nope, I quite clearly said, 'Whilst it doesn't fall on footballers to fund free school meals...'

 

Thats not the argument I was making, simply pointing out that it is being used by some people to beat the current Government over the head with, yet it is a long standing issue regardless of who is or has been in power.

Yes, it's a travesty of all our governments that more wasn't done.

5 minutes ago, maxjam said:

You really have to question why kids are going hungry and not just throw more money at it.

I've given some of the reasons from my experience. Institutionalised neglect through generations is a big part, as is addiction. Mental health is also behind what drives a lot of these behaviours.  Add in a good bit of domestic violence to upset the family unit, and you've got a very unhealthy mix. Much of the time these things go hand in hand - it's rarely a single issue that's driving these problems.

[1of4]

1 hour ago, G STAR RAM said:

No, neither did I say that had.

Did the Government hold a vote with a binary choice of whether they want children to go hungry or not, because if they did I must have missed that.

The 332 - 261 vote in Parliament by MPs that stopped children, who normally get free school meals, getting aid to provide them with a meal during their holidays. Certainly looked like a binery yes, no, vote to me.

[maxjam]

7 minutes ago, GboroRam said:

I've given some of the reasons from my experience. Institutionalised neglect through generations is a big part, as is addiction. Mental health is also behind what drives a lot of these behaviours.  Add in a good bit of domestic violence to upset the family unit, and you've got a very unhealthy mix. Much of the time these things go hand in hand - it's rarely a single issue that's driving these problems.

Again, I agree - note I've not thrown around lazy working class or they are all drunk/buying drugs slurs etc. 

Throwing more money at problems and hoping they will go away doesn't fix underlying causes.  It is easy to say kids are starving, no one can really disagree with that without looking like a total bamford  - but the poorest in society have already been given extra money, if kids are still going hungry we need to look to help in other ways.

[maxjam]

3 minutes ago, 1of4 said:

The 332 - 261 vote in Parliament by MPs that stopped children, who normally get free school meals, getting aid to provide them with a meal during their holidays. Certainly looked like a binery yes, no, vote to me.

Those families have already received an extra £1k payment this year already - where did that go?

[G STAR RAM]

26 minutes ago, ariotofmyown said:

"I'm hungry as my parents have lost their jobs and my main meal of the day is the one I get at school."

"Sorry young Billy, we could feed you now, but it wouldn't address the underlying problems."

"But it's 7 days until I'm back at school."

 

Or how about, "Billy why dont you ask your mum and dad what they are spending their child benefit and universal credit money on, after all these are the systems that are in place to help families"

Tongue in cheek obviously but I am sure will (although probably pretend not to) understand the point.

[G STAR RAM]

4 minutes ago, 1of4 said:

The 332 - 261 vote in Parliament by MPs that stopped children, who normally get free school meals, getting aid to provide them with a meal during their holidays. Certainly looked like a binery yes, no, vote to me.

Well perhaps you are too blinkered to look at the bigger picture then.

[Comrade 86]

25 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

Well perhaps you are too blinkered to look at the bigger picture then.

Nah, you're just completely unable to address a simple issue. The fact is, while we squabble, kids are going hungry. You can (and do) spend your every waking hour on here pretending black is white, but for the vast majority of folks, this not an acceptable scenario. Looking at the 'bigger picture' in no way addresses the immediate issue as you well know but then but then you already know that.

Frankly, it's risible that you accuse others of being blinkered when you are the least able on this entire forum to unknit politics and basic humanity. Go back and read your last 20 or so responses on this thread. They are crass beyond belief. I can only assume that you are a deeply unhappy man to be honest.

[G STAR RAM]

12 minutes ago, 86 Schmokes & a Pancake said:

Nah, you're just completely unable to address a simple issue. The fact is, while we squabble, kids are going hungry. You can (and do) spend your every waking hour on here pretending black is white, but for the vast majority of folks, this not an acceptable scenario. Looking at the 'bigger picture' in no way addresses the immediate issue as you well know but then but then you already know that.

Frankly, it's risible that you accuse others of being blinkered when you are the least able on this entire forum to unknit politics and basic humanity. Go back and read your last 20 or so responses on this thread. They are crass beyond belief. I can only assume that you are a deeply unhappy man to be honest.

Another one incapable of seeing last the end of his nose...

I mean if Marcus Rashford has said it then it must be true right?

Lets not bother looking at any facts or try and sort out any ot the underlying issues let's just throw more money at the problem, that should definitely make it better.

I'd be interested to see your facts on these children going hungry?

A lot of these families, as @maxjamhas pointed out are £1020 per year better off than before the pandemic, yet all of a sudden cant afford to feed their children.

ABSOLUTELY NOBODY ON THIS FORUM, OR IN THE COUNTRY I HOPE SEE IT AS AN ACCEPTABLE SCENARIO THAT CHILDREN COULD GO HUNGRY, SO GET THE SILLY IDEA OUT OF YOUR HEAD AND TRY AND PROCESS WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING BEFORE BASHING AWAY ON YOUR KEYBOARD.

[maxjam]

 

The prime minister is said to be considering giving councils extra money for holiday clubs in a bid to end the free schools meals row.

It would mean children getting at least one meal a day during the holidays, and could be combined with extra study to help them catch up on missed classes, the Daily Telegraph reports.