Let's Get Political!

[pauld]

Not that it matters to the emotion of the argument, but the chartwells contract wasn’t to spend £30 worth of food per child - they were contracted to provide a certain number of meals per child (no reference to cost)

More a point of pedantry than anything, the £25 profiteering isn’t technically true. The shameful rations the kids got, and the fact it was worse than they were previously entitled to, is though

It replaced a scheme where parents were given a £30 voucher to spend on food in supermarkets. It's reasonable to assume the budget was proportionate to that, unless you're suggesting that as well as private profiteering the govt have also used this as an excuse to slash the budget as well?

It's also worth noting that the "hampers" as Chartwells refer to them fall well below the standards set out in the DfE guidelines that school lunches are supposed to meet. Either way, they have not fulfilled the contracts they have been paid handsomely from taxpayers' money for and should be stripped of those contracts.

[Nemo]

It's also worth noting that the "hampers" as Chartwells refer to them fall well below the standards set out in the DfE guidelines that school lunches are supposed to meet.

Starmer read the guidelines out at PMQs and they weren't far off - basically missing some milk and some ham. Even if they'd delivered to spec it would be a miserable thing.

[Arriba]

They could always go back to the topic of fishing to distract from the real issues again. Or start putting fish in the lunchboxes

I don't think that would do them any favours. Many of the folk of Brixham for instance ain't happy post brexit when the majority wanted it as they thought they'd benefit and the reality is they won't.

[pauld]

Starmer read the guidelines out at PMQs and they weren't far off - basically missing some milk and some ham. Even if they'd delivered to spec it would be a miserable thing.

In terms of items, maybe, but the nutritional value was well below the requirements. But yes as you say, either way it is utterly miserable, the govt's spec is miserly and Chartwells even skimped on that. What a terrible way for a rich 1st world country to treat families in need. A twitter user did a breakdown of the calorific value of Chartwell's "hamper" and it's well below a child's basic needs. And that's just calories, not even looking at essential vitamins and other nutrients

https://twitter.com/JoeStephenson96/status/1348934091459203075

[Batch]

I don't think that would do them any favours. Many of the folk of Brixham for instance ain't happy post brexit when the majority wanted it as they thought they'd benefit and the reality is they won't.

oh well.

(I don't like fish anyway, except cod in batter )

[Arriba]

oh well.

(I don't like fish anyway, except cod in batter )

Me neither. prawns is all I'll eat from the sea. Love Brixham though so take a keen interest in the area/news etc.

[Batch]

yeah, Brixham and fishing villages like that are lovely

I don't really want to see the industry die off. just don't have much sympathy if it does

[Bogus Dave]

It replaced a scheme where parents were given a £30 voucher to spend on food in supermarkets. It's reasonable to assume the budget was proportionate to that, unless you're suggesting that as well as private profiteering the govt have also used this as an excuse to slash the budget as well

Erm, yeah I think that’s exactly what I was saying

[Arriba]

yeah, Brixham and fishing villages like that are lovely

I don't really want to see the industry die off. just don't have much sympathy if it does

Oh it will die off. Hence why there's fighting over fishing grounds in the first place. Humans have decimated the seas. Dwindling fish stocks due to overfishing.

[RedRag]

Me neither. prawns is all I'll eat from the sea. Love Brixham though so take a keen interest in the area/news etc.

I've probably been overly politicised on the (anti) Brexit front.  Big business may be "inconvenienced" but it can afford to adapt and we can argue about the casualties.

But for the little guy and the small business, I think the travel restrictions and especially the trade restrictions will cause a loss of viable trade and quality of life  

"Local", in terms of fresh produce, just like the fish themselves, doesn't recognise national boundaries.

It's a lose:lose for neighbouring, local communities that there are now extra barriers to the trade of beautiful fresh fish and produce between us and Ireland and the Continent.  I think the little guys in Brixham and its continental equivalents have more in common than differences.

[horlock07]

Still lying.... https://twitter.com/PeterStefanovi2/status/1349401389659783173?s=20

[BoA Vagabond]

Me neither. prawns is all I'll eat from the sea. Love Brixham though so take a keen interest in the area/news etc.

Used to live down that way. Great walk from Paignton front along the coast walk. Lunchtime in the pubs by the harbour before stumbling back. Add in cold winds with big waves and you have a real treat. Most of Torbay considered Brixham folk to be a bit odd. I thought they were fine but, as was often pointed out, I'm from Swindon.

[Arriba]

Used to live down that way. Great walk from Paignton front along the coast walk. Lunchtime in the pubs by the harbour before stumbling back. Add in cold winds with big waves and you have a real treat. Most of Torbay considered Brixham folk to be a bit odd. I thought they were fine but, as was often pointed out, I'm from Swindon.

I plan to move to the area. As soon as the Mrs gives the green light I'm there. If nd the locals friendly and I've been there out of season plenty of times in their pubs etc.

[Broadbents Tackle]

Something that I think everyone needs to read. I hope more attention can be drawn to this and the world can unite in condemnation.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/12/uighur-xinjiang-re-education-camp-china-gulbahar-haitiwaji

[horlock07]

Is hapless too kind?

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/fisheries-minister-didnt-read-brexit-bill-because-she-was-organising-the-local-nativity-trail/14/01/