We need a coup

GrannyGravy13

There appears to be a movement growing across England (not sure about the other UK Countries) whereby cafes/bistros /restaurants are offering free meals for children during half term.

A coffee/tea shop local to me has started a pay it forward scheme whereby you can donate extra on your bill and this will pay for a meal for someone in need.

I think the government has scored a massive own goal. I think all the FSM children in this district will now be receiving lunches, thanks to the generosity of local people. I understand some local councils are paying for meals too. I hope that eventually none of the children will lose out.

Nevertheless, they shouldn't have had to rely on charity. The response shows that there is public support for free school meals to continue during the holidays, so the MPs who voted against it are out of touch.

My concern now is that this needs to go much further. There are many other children who aren't even eligible for FSM and food isn't the only thing these children lack.

There is a huge difference between families who have lost all or some of their income and the so called benefit scroungers which are happy to be filmed and go on to boast about playing the system .

Covid is going to leave a nasty scar worldwide not just on people’s health but taking away their future and their livelihoods. Governments worldwide need to open their wallets and provide support in these unprecedented times.

Not much return via tax there as companies manipulate their accounts and wealthy shareholders siphon off their wealth abroad.

I should have said that there is a bit of trickle down as TTI is generating some employment, but it's not the same as directly financing public services when the profit is factored in.

The government has shown that there is a magic money tree, which it probably intended to spend on the regions in the "red wall" as a sweetener. However, Covid has changed all that because the tree really doesn't have many more fruits left.

I'd disagree with you there because the 'tree' has plenty of fruit left on it. Most of what the government spends into the real economy will come back to it via taxation. It's not disappearing into a big black hole, unlike the £billions going to private companies to swell their profits and the incomes of their shareholders. Not much return via tax there as companies manipulate their accounts and wealthy shareholders siphon off their wealth abroad.

The real truth is that the tories are ideologically opposed to spending on public services (note how the pandemic has afforded them huge opportunities for privatising health related services) and, although forced to do so they are determined to do as little as they can and are encouraging the notion that citizens will eventually have to 'pay for it'.
Even though they are 'borrowing' from no-one (QE in this instance is direct funding, not bond buybacks) and at no cost to the government.

There appears to be a movement growing across England (not sure about the other UK Countries) whereby cafes/bistros /restaurants are offering free meals for children during half term.

A coffee/tea shop local to me has started a pay it forward scheme whereby you can donate extra on your bill and this will pay for a meal for someone in need.

JanPT Presumably you and your partner don't see any prospect right now of losing your income and using up all your savings, so you and your children (if you have any still dependent on you) are safe. You have enough, though not enough to waste your money.

Use your imagination. Next week the firms you work for could go bust. Your home could develop some very expensive problem which has to be fixed, but which doesn't come under your home insurance. You receive no more than the statutory minimum compensation from your bankrupt employers, so after using that up, you have to live on your savings. You cut down all your expenses, and try to find other jobs, without success. You get ill and are hospitalised, so cant earn anyway, and your partner runs off with a younger woman.

Benefits are your only source of income, for yourself AND for your children.

Janpt

Whitewavemark2

Janpt

To all on here who are outraged at what I have said about people who cannot afford to feed their children. You have missed the point which is do not bring children into the world unless you can afford to feed them without the help of benefits. I am an only child because my parents took that decision so perhaps you can understand why I get so angry when I see people with large families claiming benefits and wanting bigger council houses to accommodate them.

Only someone who has no understanding would make the remark you did.

I reiterate what I have posted on another thread.

Anyone who is prepared to punish a child and stand by whilst they go hungry, because you don’t approve of their parents is without compassion and empathy of any kind.

What a stupid remark. Of course I am not advocating children going hungry. As I have already said people should think whether they could afford to bring another child into the world but instead they just go ahead assuming the government will pay up as usual.

Evidence? Because without that your remarks are just opinion.

Whitewavemark2

Janpt

To all on here who are outraged at what I have said about people who cannot afford to feed their children. You have missed the point which is do not bring children into the world unless you can afford to feed them without the help of benefits. I am an only child because my parents took that decision so perhaps you can understand why I get so angry when I see people with large families claiming benefits and wanting bigger council houses to accommodate them.

Only someone who has no understanding would make the remark you did.

I reiterate what I have posted on another thread.

Anyone who is prepared to punish a child and stand by whilst they go hungry, because you don’t approve of their parents is without compassion and empathy of any kind.

What a stupid remark. Of course I am not advocating children going hungry. As I have already said people should think whether they could afford to bring another child into the world but instead they just go ahead assuming the government will pay up as usual.

Gagajo
How do we know that anybody have done any better.
This second wave has come when and where students have returned to Universities
It is not just that .
It is obvious that people are not abiding by the rules.
I walked down our high street on Monday and there was a group of males sitting round a small table outside a café chatting.
I dare say that this is going on up and down the Country.

.

I don't think that a government of national unity would have worked because I think Johnson/Cummings are on a power trip. Anybody else would have been passengers to legitimise whatever they wanted to do, just as the LibDems were in the coalition.

I'd be amazed if there's a coup, but I do think the situation is going to change after 1st January when Project Fear becomes Project Reality. People will begin to judge the government on their current situation, not on whether Brexit has been done.

The government has shown that there is a magic money tree, which it probably intended to spend on the regions in the "red wall" as a sweetener. However, Covid has changed all that because the tree really doesn't have many more fruits left.

I don't have a magic ball, but I think Conservative back benchers with small majorities will be getting nervous and looking for a more popular leader. Interestingly, most of them were parachuted in and don't have much talent, so I think there's going to be some internal Conservative strife between "traditional" Conservatives and the new ones.

I would have been in favour of a govtmnt of national unity (or some such title) when first mooted months ago. Too late now.

Janpt

To all on here who are outraged at what I have said about people who cannot afford to feed their children. You have missed the point which is do not bring children into the world unless you can afford to feed them without the help of benefits. I am an only child because my parents took that decision so perhaps you can understand why I get so angry when I see people with large families claiming benefits and wanting bigger council houses to accommodate them.

Only someone who has no understanding would make the remark you did.

I reiterate what I have posted on another thread.

Anyone who is prepared to punish a child and stand by whilst they go hungry, because you don’t approve of their parents is without compassion and empathy of any kind.

And how many of those are there?

Elegran's argument is very sound.

Elegran

YOU have missed an important point, Janpt - that the vast majority of people on benefits had lready had families while they were doing OK financially and expected to be able to feed and clothe them without big problems.

Which of the children should they choose to delete when they unexpectedly hit hard times? How much would they get for that TV, if they were to sell it, and how long would the proceeds feed them and pay the rent?

That's a ridiculous argument. I'm referring to those who go on to have more children knowing that they cannot afford to feed them without claiming benefits.

M0nica

Lets start with the Civil War and Oliver Cromwell.

Come on then. What about the Civil War and Cromwell?

How does this fit in with your 'parliament has survived worse things' thesis?

YOU have missed an important point, Janpt - that the vast majority of people on benefits had lready had families while they were doing OK financially and expected to be able to feed and clothe them without big problems.

Which of the children should they choose to delete when they unexpectedly hit hard times? How much would they get for that TV, if they were to sell it, and how long would the proceeds feed them and pay the rent?

Janpt, I can see that you feel your anger is righteous because your parents took the decision to have only one child for financial reasons. Why does that justify your judgemental, dismissive claims about large families/people on benefits/large council houses?
Do you actually know any of these people? Do you know anything about their lives before you rush to judgement. I'm with Alegrias and disagree with you that 'the only ridiculous comments here are yours'

Alegrias2

*Janpt*, this makes me so angry. The fact you put "poor people" in inverted commas shows that you just think they are scroungers. What do you suggest? Exposing their least favourite child on a hillside so that they don't have to feed them? Eating the dog maybe? And imagine the audacity of having a TV! To the poorhouse with them!

I'd suggest getting out into the real world to understand what problems people are facing before making such ridiculous comments.

The only ridiculous comments are yours.

To all on here who are outraged at what I have said about people who cannot afford to feed their children. You have missed the point which is do not bring children into the world unless you can afford to feed them without the help of benefits. I am an only child because my parents took that decision so perhaps you can understand why I get so angry when I see people with large families claiming benefits and wanting bigger council houses to accommodate them.

The Tories get rid of leaders when they don’t have a chance of winning.
Yesterday Johnson was again lying in Parliament when he accused the Labour Mayor of being responsible for TFL’s need for a bail out. This from a government who demanded that the buses and trains should run on time even when passengers were practically non existent. Where were all these passengers ? Well at home working as directed by the government. Then he brandished the falsehood that TFL were financially in good shape when the former mayor was in charge. What a laugh, this from the instigator of so many bad financial decisions from useless buses to a ridiculous garden bridge which has cost us Londoners millions. Then the mayor is being told to withhold bus passes, raise council taxes etc but apparently it will be the Mayor’s decision not the government. Lie upon lie from a PM who lies when his lips move.

Sorry MOnica, I wasn't dismissing your reference to the civil war. I was agreeing, please not even further division.

Oh let's not MOnica, those dark days. I always feel it must have been like Narnia, always winter and never Christmas. Mind you, that's how I felt when Thatcher was in power and it's even worse now.

Lets start with the Civil War and Oliver Cromwell.

Maizie You are unnecessary alarmist. Look back over the history of Parliament and it has survived far worse than we are facing now.

Perhaps you'd like to give me some past examples of Parliament voting away its powers? Or of what 'far worse' things it has survived, MOnica.

I have, at least, based my conclusions on verifiable evidence.

JanPT In this area in the last 5 years we have had inquests on people who have died of malnutrition, because they could not understand and were let down by the Benefits Agency. There are families where parents have been not eating to feed their children, children taken into care because their families are homeless.

If you haven't seen these cases on television, then you have been shutting your eyes, putting your fingers in your ears and singing la-la-la-la to yourself in a loud voice.

Perhaps you turn off as soon as someone from the Trussell Trust comes on and talks about the problems people have accessing benefits, of the delays that occur, of the problems those who do not have computers and smart phones have? This was on the television constantly when the schools were closed, because of the number of children unable to keep up with school work because they had no access to computers.

Read Jack Munro's story. I assume you have heard of her, so that I do not need to give you a link. My DGC attend a school that draws equally from an area of inter war semi's and a council estate where there are many poor children and my DDiL, who was involved in helping families talked to me of the problems many families there faced.

Yes, I have seen the interviews you mention, but tv programme makers like families like this, because they like the way people like you react it is really good for advertisers and families like those interviewed love the 15 minutes of fame tv programmes gives them. Sadly those truly in want, are too ashamed to seek publicity.