[Wizard.]

Conservative leadership favourite Jacob Rees-Mogg has said the growing use of food banks in the UK is “rather uplifting”.

The Tory MP insisted that rather than demonstrating the scale of poverty in the country, the development showed what a “good compassionate country we are.”

Speaking to LBC radio Mr Rees-Mogg said: “I don’t think the state can do everything that it tries.

“It provides a basic level of welfare… but on some occasions that will not work and to have charitable support given by people voluntarily to support their fellow citizens I think is rather uplifting and shows what a good compassionate country we are.”

Food bank use is on the rise, with data from the Trussell Trust indicating the country’s food banks provided more than a million emergency food supplies to UK people last year.

Mr Rees-Mogg attributed the rise to the fact that people now “know they are there.”

“The real reason for the rise in numbers is because people know they are there and Labour refused to tell them.”

The fact that Jacob Rees-Mogg is being blasted over his comment is absurd. He's totally right in saying that the state can't do everything, and it can't help everyone. Name me one country in the world with 0 poverty and 0 homelessness, I don't think you can. We once had to rely on food banks, not a fault of anyone else, my mum had mental health issues so it was our last resort, and without them our family would have starved. Do I believe that the state should have provided us with food and or money because my parent was totally incapable of budgeting? Hell no. It's amazing that people are so generous to donate food, and I am grateful to now be in the position to return the favour and donate food myself.

[Kizzy]

Thank god for all the ragged trousered philanthropists out there or we would have to spend public money on the public! *spits*


This guy is a breed apart, just because he uses 500 words when 3 will do does not mean that he is any better informed or in this instance even truthful :/

[user104658]

Just another Tory worm who grew up under his parents' inherited wing / bootheel, he's just flapping his gums. He has literally no real concept of what he's talking about. To him, poverty is something you have to look at out of your car window if you happen to drive down the wrong street, before quickly looking away.

[Crimson Dynamo]

King of recognising the positive rather than the negative

[Gusto Brunt]

He always reminds me of Hen Broon, from the Broon's comics.

[Withano]

Is he really the leadership favourite? That's distressing. Don't see anything wrong with his words here, its his words on abortion that have turned me off him for life.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Withano

Is he really the leadership favourite? That's distressing. Don't see anything wrong with his words here, its his words on abortion that have turned me off him for life.

Yes he belongs to the Catholic cult and that is disturbing

[Kizzy]

As opposed to the CofE cult you mean?...

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

As opposed to the CofE cult you mean?...

The Catholic superstition is way, way worse

[Tom4784]

The growing dependency on food banks should never be presented as a good thing. It's a failure of the state that food banks are becoming a necessity for a lot of people.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

The growing dependency on food banks should never be presented as a good thing. It's a failure of the state that food banks are becoming a necessity for a lot of people.

what about people who get enough money for food and then blow it on gambling, drink, fags etc?

Is that the fault of the state too?

Its far too simplistic to see all foodbank users as this innocent deserving underclass

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

what about people who get enough money for food and then blow it on gambling, drink, fags etc?

Is that the fault of the state too?

Its far too simplistic to see all foodbank users as this innocent deserving underclass

You are trying too hard.

[reece(:]

He's a dinosaur anyway so his views are nonsense.

[Vicky.]

The rise in people donating to foodbanks is uplifting indeed. Shows that normal people care about others more.

The rise in people HAVING TO USE foodbanks is anything but uplifting.

When we have so many people (including the likes of ****ing nurses) having to use foodbanks, it shows something is drastically wrong. And no amount of politicians trying to make out its a good thing...will make it so.


LOL at this bit though..

The real reason for the rise in numbers is because people know they are there and Labour refused to tell them.

Nah mate. The reason for the rise in numbers is the long pay freezes people are subjected to, along with various degrees of benefit delays/sanctions/changes that the Tories have brought in.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

The rise in people donating to foodbanks is uplifting indeed. Shows that normal people care about others more.

The rise in people HAVING TO USE foodbanks is anything but uplifting.

When we have so many people (including the likes of ****ing nurses) having to use foodbanks, it shows something is drastically wrong. And no amount of politicians trying to make out its a good thing...will make it so.


LOL at this bit though..



Nah mate. The reason for the rise in numbers is the long pay freezes people are subjected to, along with various degrees of benefit delays/sanctions/changes that the Tories have brought in.

evidence for both?

[Vicky.]

Trussell Trust data also reveals that benefit delays and changes remain the biggest cause of referral to a foodbank, accounting for 43 percent of all referrals (26 percent benefit delay; 17 percent benefit change), a slight rise on last year’s 42 percent. Low income has also risen as a referral cause from 23 percent to 26 percent.

Benefit delays’ refer to people not receiving benefits to which they are entitled on time, this category can also include problems with processing new claims, or any other time-lags in people receiving their welfare payments.
‘Benefit changes’ refers to the problems resulting from a change in people’s welfare payments, for example, people having their benefits stopped whilst they are reassessed. This can also include a sanction.
‘Low income’ refers to anyone who is struggling to get by on a low income. This could be people in work, or people on benefits, for whom a small crisis e.g. boiler breaking down or having to buy school uniform etc, can be enough to mean that they cannot afford food.

https://www.trusselltrust.org/2017/0...ontinues-rise/

Infact, the whole page...

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

what about people who get enough money for food and then blow it on gambling, drink, fags etc?

Just seen this...whilst of course, there are bad apples in any bunch and to deny some people spend wages/benefits on loads of unneeded stuff whilst claiming poverty would be ridiculous, people like this would be highly unlikely to get a referral. And a referral is needed, you can't just walk in and demand a food parcel.

We once had to use a foodbank, a few years back when I became ill and there was a 3 month delay in processing my ESA claim.

We had to give bank statements and such, to prove we had not just had income and spent it irresponsibly. We had to prove that cash we had got in the weeks prior had not been spent on stuff like drink. As I recall, we actually had a bit of a problem as we were on key/card gas and electric and there was 50 quid 'unaccounted for' and of course we did not have a receipt for the gas/electric we had topped up, as...why keep receipts once the credit is on? Local shop redid them for us as I live in a relatively small village and they knew us and remembered us topping up. But I am fairly sure we would not have got the referral had we not been able to provide that receipt

[Kizzy]

Vicky I wouldn't bother all the channel 5 'documentaries' have infected his mind :/

[DemolitionRed]

There’s nothing good about hundreds and thousands of people, many of them workers, having to supplement their diet from food banks and there's nothing good about a government who rely on the generosity of others to feed its hungry nation. Food banks are no better than Victorian style institutions for the poor because when you take away workers rights and keep them struggling to survive, you imprison people into a system of hopelessness.

Edited to say, the whole system is designed to reduce social mobility.

[Oliver_W]

There might be something in more awareness for food banks, I hadn't heard of them until a few years ago.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

what about people who get enough money for food and then blow it on gambling, drink, fags etc?

Is that the fault of the state too?

Its far too simplistic to see all foodbank users as this innocent deserving underclass

Even if this was true (and it's only true for a tiny percentage)...

1) Gambling is declining, not increasing.

2) Smoking is declining, not increasing.

3) Drinking is at the same (albeit, too high) level that it has always been at. Not increasing.




So... while these vices might account for some food bank use, they cannot account for an increase in food bank use.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Even if this was true (and it's only true for a tiny percentage)...

1) Gambling is declining, not increasing.

2) Smoking is declining, not increasing.

3) Drinking is at the same (albeit, too high) level that it has always been at. Not increasing.




So... while these vices might account for some food bank use, they cannot account for an increase in food bank use.

Whilst that may be true and you do not provide evidence, is it true of the demographic we are discussing, my educated guess would be no.

[jaxie]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

There might be something in more awareness for food banks, I hadn't heard of them until a few years ago.

I hadn't heard of them before the last few years either. So he may have a bit of point on increased awareness. I'm also dubious about claims of nurses having to use them. I've seen one sensationalised press claim regarding one nurse and there isn't anything otherwise to support that. He is also right that people are very kind to donate. I think we have a very good welfare system in this country and people make it out to be far worse than it is.

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by jaxie

I hadn't heard of them before the last few years either. So he may have a bit of point on increased awareness. I'm also dubious about claims of nurses having to use them. I've seen one sensationalised press claim regarding one nurse and there isn't anything otherwise to support that. He is also right that people are very kind to donate. I think we have a very good welfare system in this country and people make it out to be far worse than it is.

https://fullfact.org/economy/how-man...ing-foodbanks/

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has reported “growing numbers of nursing staff using food banks, taking on additional jobs and accruing personal debt”. It told us that:

“We have a network of reps and RCN officers that stretches across the UK. They are in constant contact with members and this is what they report. This is not just one or two cases.”

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Whilst that may be true and you do not provide evidence, is it true of the demographic we are discussing, my educated guess would be no.

Maybe not. But its pretty irrelevant surely given that people who had spent a large amount of money on gambling, cigs or alcohol (or drugs though those weren't mentioned) would be unable to get a referal to begin with. And definitely not numerous referals, as some do seem to think its an ongoing thing, people spending beyond their means and then just going to foodbanks because they can. Infact our local one only allows one referal a YEAR.

Something I never understood though...while on this topic, is how smoking/drinking is more common among the poorer people than those better off. Both very expensive habits..