The food bank debate was one of the most shocking and horrific things that I have witnessed, it was worse than being in the school playground with a bunch of rowdy school children.
I wasn't surprised at the Tory MPs cold hearted and neoliberal response to the debate but I was shocked at the continuous downward spiral of Lib Dem ethics. Here is a link to the names of the MPs who voted against investigating the rise in use of food banks. In the Liberal Democrat constitution it is stated that, "The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safe guard a fair, free and open society in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and and community in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity." People who use food banks are enslaved by poverty.
Most of the people who use food banks are in work and many of these work zero hours contracts. So much of the austerity programme is being built on the promise that work pays. This is a lie being sold to cover up the fact that this austerity programme is driven by ideology. If it was anything else the evidence would come into it. Instead the Government does not look at the statistics of food baks and is refusing to look into a report on it. What I really deplore is that 36.6% of children were food bank users in the last year and 296 MPs voted against even looking into it. It just doesn't add up.
I wasn't surprised at the Tory MPs cold hearted and neoliberal response to the debate but I was shocked at the continuous downward spiral of Lib Dem ethics. Here is a link to the names of the MPs who voted against investigating the rise in use of food banks. In the Liberal Democrat constitution it is stated that, "The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safe guard a fair, free and open society in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and and community in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity." People who use food banks are enslaved by poverty.
Most of the people who use food banks are in work and many of these work zero hours contracts. So much of the austerity programme is being built on the promise that work pays. This is a lie being sold to cover up the fact that this austerity programme is driven by ideology. If it was anything else the evidence would come into it. Instead the Government does not look at the statistics of food baks and is refusing to look into a report on it. What I really deplore is that 36.6% of children were food bank users in the last year and 296 MPs voted against even looking into it. It just doesn't add up.
I have written about this here:
ReplyDeletehttp://johnhemming.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-foodbanks-debate-and-labour.html
Dear Mr Hemming,
ReplyDeleteThank your for your comment. I read your blog and I understand what you say about voting for everything in the motion however I still believe that it is the wrong decision to vote against the investigation into food banks as it is such a pressing issue. The fact that one third of food bank users are children highlights the need for urgency for an investigation.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment
Maelo Manning
Dear Maelo, your blog was interesting, and heartfelt, rightly so, but so pleased also it led to a reply from John Hemming MP, who posted the whole motion being voted on. one of its "asks" was for a freeze on energy prices. as we know, this is not a good solution to poverty, and very short term at that. Our MPs would have looked ridiculous voting for something they have already condemned. Labour used to do that sort of thing to motions we put to Council - put down an amendment we could not amend calling for something on the lines of what we wanted, but having a clause in they knew we could not support. they are playing party politics. if they really wanted to tackle the problem they would have been seeking an all party approach and at least getting support from us.
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