[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Mr K

Meanwhile back in the HOC, taxpayers are subsidising MPs meals and they're getting a £3k pay rise. Sorted.

The meals will be subsidised because they are unable to seek out cheaper options. Several years ago I worked in the Westminster area, and we were given Luncheon Vouchers because the company didn't have a subsidised canteen. Nothing unusual about subsidised company canteens. Often the workforce has no choice because of the locality of the company, eg industrial estate.
The pay rise is NOT one they are awarding themselves, it's part of a system/formula to calculate them.

It is a totally bogus argument to ask for for those receiving free school meals because of covid. Those with free school meals are mostly going to be parents completely on benefits, whose income will be unaffected.
Here's an example of the bogus arguments.
School meals: 'I remember going to bed with hunger pains'
Now let's pick apart the nonsense.

"I was brought up in a household where we didn't have food at home," Danielle recalls.
Her mother was ill, and couldn't work. A single-parent household, Danielle says she and her two siblings were often left to "fend for themselves", in addition to caring for their mum.
"Some days it was hard for her to get out of bed. She really put in a lot of effort but she couldn't cope. I don't hold it against her because she tried," Danielle stresses.

Single-parent, left to "fend for themselves". parent not doing shopping. So was money the actual issue?

At the weekend, meals would frequently consist of dry cereal and dry bread.

Overall Schools meals had NOTHING to do with it.
Would small village primary schools of the time(30 years ago) have had school meals. Those living in villages would've had to spend the money on meals, instead of getting free school meals. Those of us in that situation could manage, if the parent(s) were bothered. Why the discrimination?

---------- Post added at 21:47 ---------- Previous post was at 21:35 ----------

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Given that Marcus Rashford was awarded an MBE, you would think that the government would have the issue on their agenda.

They could have built on the goodwill generated by awarding the MBE by continuing with free school meals through the Civid crisis at little cost and considered making it permanent.

Put in the context of the Triple Lock of £1.5bn a year which is providing increases in pensions of two per cent more than inflation it's a bargain.

It's quotas. The list is filled with people who are there just to fill the quotas.

Of the 1,495 recipients, 13% are from a BAME background and 6% have a disability. The list includes 740 women, which represents 49% of the total - down from 51% in the New Years Honours list last year.

How are those figures possible, when there is meant to be so much discrimination, that certain groups aren't allowed to achieve anything?