The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[Clint Planet]

Perhaps we should all back off, then.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Perhaps we should all back off, then.

I can't wait until the elections over to be honest

 

[Clint Planet]

I don't know what I'll do with myself.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Start a jazz band?

 

[Clint Planet]

Mark the books!

 

[roydo]

Mark the books!

You have had Easter Holidays to do that ffs!!

 

[The Mighty Quint]

From the BBC this morning.

Food banks used by 'more than one million people' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32406120

More than one million people sought emergency help from food banks in the last year, a charity has said.

The Trussell Trust said 1,084,604 people received supplies in the last financial year, an increase of 19% over the previous 12 months.

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves said the "shocking rise" showed the "Tory plan" was failing.

A Conservative spokesman said their "long-term economic plan" would ensure economic security for more people.

The Trussell Trust said almost 400,000 children were among those receiving at least three days' worth of supplies from the charity's 445 food banks across the UK in the past year.

It said "record numbers" of people were seeking help.

The figure does not include other food banks run by small charities and churches.

'Listen to people'
Problems with benefits was the main reason people visited food banks and there had been an increase in those on low incomes seeking help, the trust said.

Food bank managers reported dealing with people struggling with insecure work, low pay and high living costs.

Trussell Trust UK food bank director Adrian Curtis said the charity's facilities were increasingly hosting additional services including debt counselling and welfare advice.

"The Trussell Trust's latest figures highlight how vital it is that we all work to prevent and relieve hunger in the UK," he said.

"It's crucial that we listen to the experiences of people using food banks to truly understand the nature of the problems they face."

The new figure does not include other food banks run by small charities and churches
Carmel McConnell, chief executive of the Magic Breakfast charity, which delivers food to schools, said there had been an increase in the number of requests for urgent deliveries.

Oxfam head of UK poverty Rachael Orr said the figures were "extremely worrying".

Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey said the news figures revealed a "scandal of epic dimensions".

'A family too many'
"Something has gone grotesquely wrong when so many people, in and out of work, have to turn to charity to feed their children," he said.

"One family failing to make ends meet each month is a family too many," a Conservative spokesman said.

"The best way to help families provide for themselves is cut taxes and to get more people into work and there are already two million more people in work since the election."

Labour's Ms Reeves said: "David Cameron's failure to tackle low pay, the bedroom tax and delays in benefit payments have led to over a million people depending on emergency food aid.

"Labour has a better plan to raise working families' living standards so fewer people depend on food banks to survive."

Do they really expect us to believe this nonsense when tax cuts aren't a solution for those on very low pay, people are in lower paid work than ever and benefits have been slashed? This is a problem in the here and now. A solution needs to be delivered immediately. We can't hope that a plan will work which might make things better a few years down the line.

For me, this is the biggest failure of this government, it is indefensible and Cameron has the absolute cheek to go on TV and say it's down to better advertising.

Over a million customers at food banks probably equates to 2 to 3 million people being fed in this country from food banks on a regular basis, it's disgusting it really is, and they plan cuts x2 if they get in again knowing this, I'm speechless.

 

[piddlywiddly]

I know others on this forum have debated this point so I'm sorry to bring it back up. However, I am a little confused. Piddlywiddly, you have raised this indirect quote as a criticism of Miliband. I can't understand how this could ever possibly be a criticism, unless, like others have suggested, you would rather a Chinese childbirth policy? Or perhaps controlled abortion? Please do suggest an answer to this 'problem', because as far as I can tell, Ed Miliband is just speaking an obvious point?

If you can't afford the children you have then why should you bring more children into this world?

It's not an obvious point, it's a huge and controversial debate.

 

[daylightrobber]

For me, this is the biggest failure of this government, it is indefensible and Cameron has the absolute cheek to go on TV and say it's down to better advertising.

Over a million customers at food banks probably equates to 2 to 3 million people being fed in this country from food banks on a regular basis, it's disgusting it really is, and they plan cuts x2 if they get in again knowing this, I'm speechless.

And then some.

I still can't get my head around it. How can it be allowed to happen? Sacrifices have to be made elsewhere to reduce this suffering (and it is suffering) to a minimum. Any one of us could find ourselves in a position of poverty at any time. By the law of averages, there will be people on this board - fellow Evertonians, who depend on foodbanks. At what point will it hit home to those who are going to vote for more of the same? When you know that fellow fan? When it's a neighbour or a colleague, when it's a friend or family, or when life deals you an unfair hand and it's you?

Wake up guys. Your vote WILL make a difference.

 

[piddlywiddly]

in the same way that labelling parents who struggle to provide for their kids as bad parents is also lazy and inaccurate.

Parents who struggle to provide for their kids who then have more kids are bad parents, and irresponsible and a drain on society.

 

[daylightrobber]

If you can't afford the children you have then why should you bring more children into this world?

It's not an obvious point, it's a huge and controversial debate.

What are you going to do with your kids if you have them and then fall on hard times? Give them up?

 

[daylightrobber]

Parents who struggle to provide for their kids who then have more kids are bad parents, and irresponsible and a drain on society.

Genuinely interested, do you have kids?

 

[piddlywiddly]

And then some.

I still can't get my head around it. How can it be allowed to happen? Sacrifices have to be made elsewhere to reduce this suffering (and it is suffering) to a minimum. Any one of us could find ourselves in a position of poverty at any time. By the law of averages, there will be people on this board - fellow Evertonians, who depend on foodbanks. At what point will it hit home to those who are going to vote for more of the same? When you know that fellow fan? When it's a neighbour or a colleague, when it's a friend or family, or when life deals you an unfair hand and it's you?

Wake up guys. Your vote WILL make a difference.

I actually find these comments pathetic and disgraceful. If you are seriously suggesting that the current situation with regards to people depending on food banks is sole solely down to the coalition and nothing to do with the mess they inherited from Labour then you have finally lost every modicum of credibility.

It's Labours fault just as much as it is the coalitions fault and you know it.

 

[piddlywiddly]

Genuinely interested, do you have kids?

Yes.

 

[piddlywiddly]

What are you going to do with your kids if you have them and then fall on hard times? Give them up?

Are you putting words in my mouth yet again and making things up to suit your biased agenda?