Wednesday 30 January 2013

THE TORIES THINK THAT THERE IS NO NEED FOR FOOD BANKS IN TODAY'S BRITAIN

Especially, as  you never seem to get smoked salmon, foie gras, or  jeroboams of  2002 Ayala there...

Eton Boy, or at least one of his servants (that's what at least some Tories are calling staff now, isn't it?) has said that there is no need for food banks in Britain because benefit levels are set at a high enough to pay for essentials.

Under 25s currently receive £56,25 per week. 

Out of that they have to pay water rates at, on average £4 a week, leaving them around £52,25.

At this time of the year I am using around £5 of electricity a week and around £10 of gas in a small flat with excellent insulation, new double glazing and a modern efficient gas central heating system, so, although not all the year round, at least in winter I have to find around £15 a week for fuel... so that leaves about £37.

Allowing £3,00 a day for three meals will take you down to £16.  You're not going to get much nourishment for that money, especially of you are under 25 with a healthy appetite, but it should more or less keep body and soul together, albeit at an unhealthy level of nutrition. (You can forget your 5 a day and wholemeal bread). 

A tv licence costs £3 a week; house insurance at least another £2 a week (yes, some don't have it, but it's a BIG risk); then there is soap, washing powder, shaving materials or sanitary goods, toothpaste, toothbrushes, bin bags, telephone (you can't look for jobs without a telephone, stamps, paper), clothes, bus fares, repair of domestic appliances, dental treatment, all of which you won't have to pay for in one week, but you have to take account of because they need to be bought at some stage. I've probably left somethings out...

Even at that, it doesn't leave much for anything else, does it? 

So, do people need food banks in 2013 Britain? Yes, I think so.

Do people in Downing Street have the slightest idea whether people need food banks or not? Hmmmm. What do you think?

Of course we are Better Together. Life is just a bowl of cherries in the United Kingdom.

15 comments:

  1. Very soon we will have the bastards at the end of a rope..Kick off is near..

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  2. This cartoon in the gruinard is causing a stir...

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cartoon/2013/jan/30/scottish-independence-referendum-question-cartoon?fb=native&commentpage=1

    From the comments it seems to be a follow up from what the PM said at wastemonster rather than an attack on us. Although it's a bit dire.

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  3. I don't see anything much wrong with the cartoon, Monty. I think you've got to take some flack in the cartoons. It doesn't do us any harm to laugh at ourselves. But I think it was directed that Eton Boy

    I believe the posh one said he wished Angus would F off... I dunno, maybe he did. (I wouldn't put it past him; he's stupid enough and short tempered enough, and he had just been made a tit of, by Angus and by the Electoral Commission which bit his fat posh boy bum after him going on and on about the SNP doing what the EC said.)

    Downing Street says he said "frightened of" and not "f*** off"

    But they would. And they lie and lie and lie...

    Frankly I don't care. He's going down. He's even worse at being prime minister than Brown was, and god knows that is saying something pretty massive.

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  4. Anon: I strangely find myself thinking that if I saw one of them hanging from a lamp post, Id not lose sleep over it.

    And that from someone who can't swat a fly.

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  5. Cameron is "going down" - tsk! tsk! these politians!

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  6. "politians" - Chan'eil a Bheula agam go math!

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  7. There is scene in one of bronte novels whereby
    Our heroine packs her basket with left over food
    And tells everybody she is off to visit the poor.


    Now that's the Torys vision of welfare in the Uk


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  8. Apologies. It was Jane Austen in Emma

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  9. Niko, what is the Labour vision of welfare in the UK? Did someone mention ATOS?

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  10. Glug, glug , glug.... John...

    Someone throw him a life raft....

    Yeah, yeah, when I've finished this chapter; it's really gripping. Only another 45 pages to go....

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  11. Damn... I can't work that out John... I wish I could.

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  12. It's the big society Niko. No more welfare. It will be up to the beneficence of the nobs to do a bit of noblesse oblige. Otherwise...


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  13. LOL Yeah, that's true.

    I wonder what Ms Lamont's idea would be...

    Something for nothing? Not on your nellie.

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  14. £3 for a TV license? That's £3 you can save right there.

    I'd hate to have to survive on £3 food a day :(

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  15. Well Craig. It's £3 a week, so that wouldn't make a fat load of difference, but yes, you could do without a tv. Almost no one does these days, but you could.

    You could also not heat your house, or buy new underwear, or soap or get a haircut, or buy medication, but you start to get to the realms of living in a parallel universe to the rest of the population.

    I'm not sure any of that is good for society.

    Yes, if you're unemployed you make sacrifices, but I think we should leave people a little normality. Remember it could be you, or me, or your or my son or daughter, brother or sister.

    I actually contribute to a food bank. I think there is a need for them.

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