30 p meals ???

Mojisola

EssexHebridean said:

I believe I'm correct in saying that one of the points the 30p meals Minister made was in fact about his local food bank encouraging people to learn to cook as well - it was rather missed in his oversimplification of the costs aspect, however! 

Our food banks offer benefits checks, financial advice and cooking and life skills courses and people are encouraged to make use of them.

The difference with the food bank this MP is talking about is that people can only get food if they go on the courses - there will be people who can't do that (child care, caring for elderly relatives, cost of transport, needing to be available for work, poor health, etc) but no courses, no food.

YorksLass

London_1 said:  I remember St Delia having a book called 'How to boil an Egg' which sounds daft, until you walk around a supermarket and see omelettes in the freezers.

I've seen boxes of 6 hard boiled eggs on sale in my local Co-op.  Can't remember the exact price but obviously a heck of a lot dearer than a DIY jobbie!

I'm a capable cook, good at budgeting, used to stretching the pennies and often make meals that don't cost a lot per portion, but I wouldn't want to live on 30p meals for too long.  Apart from the doubtful nutritional side of things, it would be a very boring existence to have to do that day in, day out.  The sheer grind of it would be enough to bring people to breaking point.

From memory, I think the other Conservative MP that tried living for a week on a single person's state benefit back in the 80s was Matthew Parris.  Unsurprisingly, he ran out of money before the end of the week.

EssexHebridean

Mojisola said:

EssexHebridean said:

I believe I'm correct in saying that one of the points the 30p meals Minister made was in fact about his local food bank encouraging people to learn to cook as well - it was rather missed in his oversimplification of the costs aspect, however! 

Our food banks offer benefits checks, financial advice and cooking and life skills courses and people are encouraged to make use of them.

The difference with the food bank this MP is talking about is that people can only get food if they go on the courses - there will be people who can't do that (child care, caring for elderly relatives, cost of transport, needing to be available for work, poor health, etc) but no courses, no food.

There will also be people who don't need to do that - they have the ability, the knowledge, and in many cases even the tools - it's just the financial side that is missing. 

I've said for a very long while that IMO ALL foodbanks should ideally be in a position to make gentle enquiries to establish whether "educational" type help is needed along with the actual food, and then to provide that advice if needed - but this should unquestionably be alongside rather than conditional. 

RAS

I understand from a statement made by the foodbank concerned, which is run from a college premises, that they offer budgeting and cookery support, but contrary to Anderson's statement, it is not compulsory.

Floss

RAS said:

I understand from a statement made by the foodbank concerned, which is run from a college premises, that they offer budgeting and cookery support, but contrary to Anderson's statement, it is not compulsory.

Not quite as emotive in Westminster!

Mojisola

RAS said:

I understand from a statement made by the foodbank concerned, which is run from a college premises, that they offer budgeting and cookery support, but contrary to Anderson's statement, it is not compulsory.

How well does he really know the foodbank he's talking so much about if he can get such a basic piece of information wrong?

RAS

It's not clear; thought I'd picked up the voluntary nature from the BBC later that pm, but here's a Guardian article.

‘An insult to the whole community’: Sutton-in-Ashfield people react to MP’s food bank comments | Food banks | The Guardian

Just saying "we teach them....." when it's the college.

tightauldgit

Grumpelstiltskin said:

Lets not bring politics into this but that MP is not your typical Tory MP. He is an ex miner ho grew up in a mining area.

I agree the 30p is not doable in the long term but actually how many of the people frequenting food banks are actually short of cooking facilities etc and how many have all the basics needed to cook?

Crisps were mentioned earlier. In Tesco a 45gm. bag of Walkers Crisps ( other brands are available ) are 85p, a 2.5 kg. bag of potatoes are 99p how many would rather buy the bag of crisps? many of the younger people I would guess.

Are you actually suggesting people buy potatoes instead of crisps? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt before I go off on you.

tightauldgit

tessie_bear said:

further to words of wisdom from our political class I wonder can you make a meal for 30 p ?.
I haven’t started this thread for a calling of the politians but wondered if it was possible. I take it to mean 30p per person any ideas ?..

No of course you can't live on 30p a meal and it's stupid to discuss it. The fact that some parts of the country elected trolls into office to spout such crap doesnt make it credible, it just means that some parts of the country apparently are happy to elect imbiciles. 

maisie_cat

tightauldgit said:

Grumpelstiltskin said:

Lets not bring politics into this but that MP is not your typical Tory MP. He is an ex miner ho grew up in a mining area.

I agree the 30p is not doable in the long term but actually how many of the people frequenting food banks are actually short of cooking facilities etc and how many have all the basics needed to cook?

Crisps were mentioned earlier. In Tesco a 45gm. bag of Walkers Crisps ( other brands are available ) are 85p, a 2.5 kg. bag of potatoes are 99p how many would rather buy the bag of crisps? many of the younger people I would guess.

Are you actually suggesting people buy potatoes instead of crisps? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt before I go off on you.

Crisps are a luxury and potatoes a basic carb food so they are not really comparable.