Another food bank opens. Hurrah!

what a prat

Casdon

Baggs

Casdon

Baggs

Charity is always a good thing, regardless of whose 'fault' the need is perceived to be.

Charity should not be needed in the fifth richest nation in the world to pay for basic necessities of life. Charity is a good way to supplement peoples lives, to enrich them and support their quality of life. Something is very seriously wrong with a rich society that expects people to use a food bank to survive.

I agree that it shouldn't be necessary but it is so people who are helping the unnecessarily needy are being charitable, which is a good thing.

Which is what I said above. Do not assume I meant more than I actually said. Nor you, maiz, because that's what you're doing too.

Baggs your comment was meant in a political context, otherwise you wouldn’t have highlighted the word ‘fault’ - I didn’t assume, I knew exactly what you meant. What do you mean by the way when you say ‘unnecessarily needy’, that’s also a political comment?

Yes. I’d like to know who the unnecessarily needy are

Give it a few minutes and we will have some GN members telling us about their sainted mothers who fed 14 children in a two up two down on 7 carrots and a lamb bone. Followed by comments about Foodbank users all having the latest i-phone, expensive manicures and flat screen tv. Oh and cars. Oh and smoking

I Googled Lee Anderson and I quote.

While serving as a Labour councillor on Ashfield Council in 2018, he was suspended by the party locally for allegedly dumping boulders to block access to a local camp site. He was later given a community protection notice over the action, and instructed to remove the boulders.

After this he defected to the Conservatives.

Idiot of the day

Conservative MP Lee Anderson says there isn't a massive need for food banks in the UK, it’s just that people “cannot cook properly, they can't cook a meal from scratch, they cannot budget.”

I too sometimes think that I have been transported to a parallel universe where the population is being brainwashed into thinking that wrong is not only right but laudable.
Is it now being suggested that we turn people away from food banks if they don’t look thin enough to qualify as hungry?

AGAA4

People ate differently when I was young. If you were poor meals were made from potatoes and vegetables and not much meat and people were much more active.

Now there are things like pizza pasta and confectionary that are cheaper to eat and have considerably more calories.

... and pies!

Pizza, pasta and pies - the three "p"s - all relatively cheap and filling.

Food banks have now become institutionalised and a socially accepted response to declining welfare provision, and naturally Tories champion them because they are a substitute for adequate state support.
I think provision of food banks is only acceptable in a crisis but as a permanent provision does not solve the structural issues of poverty in a relatively rich country.

People ate differently when I was young. If you were poor meals were made from potatoes and vegetables and not much meat and people were much more active.

Now there are things like pizza pasta and confectionary that are cheaper to eat and have considerably more calories.

Conservative MP Lee Anderson says there isn't a massive need for food banks in the UK, it’s just that people “cannot cook properly, they can't cook a meal from scratch, they cannot budget.”

They're out in force today.

Baggs

People did not get fat on the cheapest foods when they only had enough or had less than enough.

So how do you explain the correlation between deprivation and obesity?

I really dislike foodbanks as an indicator of poverty, but they've become a symbol which people understand.

It's not so much that people can't afford to eat, but they don't have the money to afford food and heating, housing costs, travel, clothes, etc etc. People don't generally donate to pay people's housing or heating costs, but dropping a couple of boxes or tins in the collection box is easy.

People did not get fat on the cheapest foods when they only had enough or had less than enough.

How do you explain the correlation between deprivation in the UK and obesity? It's well documented that certain regions have a higher percentage of deprivation and it's the same regions which have more overweight/obese people.

growstuff

Baggs

Casdon

Baggs

Casdon

Baggs

Charity is always a good thing, regardless of whose 'fault' the need is perceived to be.

Charity should not be needed in the fifth richest nation in the world to pay for basic necessities of life. Charity is a good way to supplement peoples lives, to enrich them and support their quality of life. Something is very seriously wrong with a rich society that expects people to use a food bank to survive.

I agree that it shouldn't be necessary but it is so people who are helping the unnecessarily needy are being charitable, which is a good thing.

Which is what I said above. Do not assume I meant more than I actually said. Nor you, maiz, because that's what you're doing too.

Baggs your comment was meant in a political context, otherwise you wouldn’t have highlighted the word ‘fault’ - I didn’t assume, I knew exactly what you meant. What do you mean by the way when you say ‘unnecessarily needy’, that’s also a political comment?

You did assume, casdon. You don't know why I 'highlighted' the word fault. I'll tell you, and yes, it was political but not party political. the reason I accented fault is because I think the reasons food banks are needed are complicated.

One 'complication' I struggle with is that, for all the talk of people not having enough to eat in this country, one doesn't see many actually thin people about, whereas if you look at old photographs of people in this country from two or three generations ago, you do. This, to me, means that poverty is relative at least to some extent.

I've been poor enough in the eighties myself to qualify for free milk for my kids but I and they have never not had enough to eat and never looked as skinny as kids my dad went to school with in a mining village in Yorkshire.

That's because if you are hungry, the cheapest way to fill your belly is with high carb foods, which are generally the cheapest.

They always were the cheapest.

Baggs

Casdon

Baggs

Casdon

Baggs

Charity is always a good thing, regardless of whose 'fault' the need is perceived to be.

Charity should not be needed in the fifth richest nation in the world to pay for basic necessities of life. Charity is a good way to supplement peoples lives, to enrich them and support their quality of life. Something is very seriously wrong with a rich society that expects people to use a food bank to survive.

I agree that it shouldn't be necessary but it is so people who are helping the unnecessarily needy are being charitable, which is a good thing.

Which is what I said above. Do not assume I meant more than I actually said. Nor you, maiz, because that's what you're doing too.

Baggs your comment was meant in a political context, otherwise you wouldn’t have highlighted the word ‘fault’ - I didn’t assume, I knew exactly what you meant. What do you mean by the way when you say ‘unnecessarily needy’, that’s also a political comment?

You did assume, casdon. You don't know why I 'highlighted' the word fault. I'll tell you, and yes, it was political but not party political. the reason I accented fault is because I think the reasons food banks are needed are complicated.

One 'complication' I struggle with is that, for all the talk of people not having enough to eat in this country, one doesn't see many actually thin people about, whereas if you look at old photographs of people in this country from two or three generations ago, you do. This, to me, means that poverty is relative at least to some extent.

I've been poor enough in the eighties myself to qualify for free milk for my kids but I and they have never not had enough to eat and never looked as skinny as kids my dad went to school with in a mining village in Yorkshire.

That's because if you are hungry, the cheapest way to fill your belly is with high carb foods, which are generally the cheapest.

The political 'self-satisfaction' that people are complaining about is a separate issue from what I spoke about in my initial post.

For casdon's benefit, the highlighting there is because I haven't actually seen the scenes that people are complaining about.

Casdon

Baggs

Casdon

Baggs

Charity is always a good thing, regardless of whose 'fault' the need is perceived to be.

Charity should not be needed in the fifth richest nation in the world to pay for basic necessities of life. Charity is a good way to supplement peoples lives, to enrich them and support their quality of life. Something is very seriously wrong with a rich society that expects people to use a food bank to survive.

I agree that it shouldn't be necessary but it is so people who are helping the unnecessarily needy are being charitable, which is a good thing.

Which is what I said above. Do not assume I meant more than I actually said. Nor you, maiz, because that's what you're doing too.

Baggs your comment was meant in a political context, otherwise you wouldn’t have highlighted the word ‘fault’ - I didn’t assume, I knew exactly what you meant. What do you mean by the way when you say ‘unnecessarily needy’, that’s also a political comment?

You did assume, casdon. You don't know why I 'highlighted' the word fault. I'll tell you, and yes, it was political but not party political. the reason I accented fault is because I think the reasons food banks are needed are complicated.

One 'complication' I struggle with is that, for all the talk of people not having enough to eat in this country, one doesn't see many actually thin people about, whereas if you look at old photographs of people in this country from two or three generations ago, you do. This, to me, means that poverty is relative at least to some extent.

I've been poor enough in the eighties myself to qualify for free milk for my kids but I and they have never not had enough to eat and never looked as skinny as kids my dad went to school with in a mining village in Yorkshire.

We have to face facts - this Conservative govt doesn't care about the weakest members of our society. The belief of many of them is that by working people can claw their way out of poverty.

Obviously, looking at the numbers, there are many using food banks who haven't before. one reads that some nurses and school teachers are using food banks.It's a strong indictment of our society that anyone should need to use them.

I sometimes, and today is one of those days, feel as if I have had a bad 'trip' or slipped into an alternative universe. Yesterday we had the farcical transportation, by gold coach, of a jewel encrusted crown, today we have a self satisfied, smug politician congratulating themselves that there are so many desperate people in their town that another foodbank has opened.....then to cap it all, it seems that the Minister for substances and fooling the populace has been talking in silly voices mocking accents on BBC ( USA and Liverpool if you missed the edifying moments).

Baggs

Casdon

Baggs

Charity is always a good thing, regardless of whose 'fault' the need is perceived to be.

Charity should not be needed in the fifth richest nation in the world to pay for basic necessities of life. Charity is a good way to supplement peoples lives, to enrich them and support their quality of life. Something is very seriously wrong with a rich society that expects people to use a food bank to survive.

I agree that it shouldn't be necessary but it is so people who are helping the unnecessarily needy are being charitable, which is a good thing.

Which is what I said above. Do not assume I meant more than I actually said. Nor you, maiz, because that's what you're doing too.

Baggs your comment was meant in a political context, otherwise you wouldn’t have highlighted the word ‘fault’ - I didn’t assume, I knew exactly what you meant. What do you mean by the way when you say ‘unnecessarily needy’, that’s also a political comment?

Casdon

Baggs

Charity is always a good thing, regardless of whose 'fault' the need is perceived to be.

Charity should not be needed in the fifth richest nation in the world to pay for basic necessities of life. Charity is a good way to supplement peoples lives, to enrich them and support their quality of life. Something is very seriously wrong with a rich society that expects people to use a food bank to survive.

I agree that it shouldn't be necessary but it is so people who are helping the unnecessarily needy are being charitable, which is a good thing.

Which is what I said above. Do not assume I meant more than I actually said. Nor you, maiz, because that's what you're doing too.

Baggs

Charity is always a good thing, regardless of whose 'fault' the need is perceived to be.

Channeling your inner Rees Mogg, there, Baggs?

Baggs

Charity is always a good thing, regardless of whose 'fault' the need is perceived to be.

Gosh - I do not think I can agree with that entirely. Charity is of course a good thing in general - but for those who have created the need for this charity and put people through misery and anxiety to be smiling merrily at the opening of a charity to try and deal with their actions sticks in the craw somewhat.

It is good that food banks exist; it is not good that they have become necessary. Those folk opening this facility with their big grins should be back where they belong working to prevent the need for them. I find it sickening.

Baggs

Charity is always a good thing, regardless of whose 'fault' the need is perceived to be.

Charity should not be needed in the fifth richest nation in the world to pay for basic necessities of life. Charity is a good way to supplement peoples lives, to enrich them and support their quality of life. Something is very seriously wrong with a rich society that expects people to use a food bank to survive.