From The Independent

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...mmons-debate-on-food-banks-early-9013917.html

Iain Duncan Smith leaves Commons food banks debate early.

Tory ministers have been condemned for not taking the plight Britain's poor seriously after a rowdy Commons debate on food banks during which the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith refused to answer questions and left early.

As Fiona MacTaggart, the Labour MP for Slough, described how people battled over end of day bargains in her local Tesco, she was almost drowned out by laughter and jeering from the government benches.

Ms MacTaggart could barely be heard over the braying as she described how the supermarket had been forced to draft in extra security and asked “Isn't that a shocking sign in the 21st century?”

Labour MP for Copeland in Cumbria, Jamie Reed told The Mirror: “I regret to say the laughter from the government benches says more about this issue than words ever could.”

Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, and the remaining government ministers from his department left the debate after an hour, well before its conclusion.

Barry Gardiner, Labour MP for Brent said it was “extraordinary” to see Mr Duncan Smith smirking as it was pointed out that half a million people are now using food banks - and the minister refused to answer any questions directly, instead leaving them to be fielded by his deputy, Esther McVey.

The Trussell Trust, the nation's largest provider of food banks, with almost 400 branches said it was “disappointed” by the attitude of those who jeered.

Labour had called the debate after nearly 150,000 people signed a petition backed by The Mirror, the Unite union and The Trussell Trust calling for an inquiry into the growing dependence on food aid.

Ms McVey said it was a good thing that more people were turning to food banks and that Germany and Canada had also seen a rise in their use.

The Tory MP for Wirral West said: “It is positive that people are reaching out to support other people - from church groups to community groups, to local supermarkets and other groups.”

She went on to try to pin the blame on spiralling food bank use on the Labour party.

“In the UK it is right that more people are... going to food banks because as times are tough, we are all having to pay back this £1.5 trillion debt personally which spiralled under Labour, we are all trying to live within our means, change the gear and make sure that we pay back all our debt which happened under them.”

But Conservative MP Laura Sandys (South Thanet) said: “Food banks are not the answer. They must be seen as a transitional support mechanism for families in stress at particular moments.

"They are not a solution or something we want institutionalised."

Labour's Sir Gerald Kaufman described McVey's speech as the nastiest he had heard in his 43 years as an MP.

As Mr Duncan Smith and his colleagues left, the speaker John Bercow said he had no power to stop them, but said the view that it was a disgrace there was no minister there ”may be widely shared".

Shadow Environment Secretary Maria Eagle said “It's a scandal which is getting worse and the Government now has the humiliation of the Red Cross helping to collect and distribute food aid in Britain for the first time since the Second World War.”

And the former Labour cabinet minister Paul Murphy said he had never seen such poverty in his 40 years as a Welsh politician, apart from during the 1984 miners' strike.

Labour's motion calling on the government to reduce dependency on food bank was eventually defeated by 294 votes to 251, a majority of 43 as Tories and Lib Dems banded together to shout it down.

[video=youtube;DbYNvsv_54o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbYNvsv_54o[/video]

 

The set of b.stards.

 

I'd be curious to know what percentage of food bank users are regular smokers.

 

I really do despair. We have more people using food banks than ever before and people only turning on their heating for a few hours a day because their fuel bills are so high and all the current shower in government can do is blame the previous government: there is only a limited amount of time that they can continue to use this excuse. However, whilst they get their 11% pay rise why should they worry about the ordinary working person.

 

Mr McVey I presume.

 

Id be curious to know what percentage of people are ****s.

 

I imagine some will smoke. I imagine some will have a can of beer at home sometimes too. They might even splash out and have fish and chips from the shop.

Are you implying that those who visit food banks are doing so because they're not spending the money they do have wisely enough?

 

The Tories dont give a f.u,c,k about the poor and those at risk of losing their home

public school, silver spoon posh boys paying lip service at most, blaming those on benefits for the huge hole they've dug us into with their clueless 1980s economic policy in the hope of picking up a few marginal seats from the enemy within in the grim North.

Any Liberal protest voters reading this: you've done this, hope you're fu.ck,ng happy.

 

Re: The Tories dont give a f.u,c,k about the poor and those at risk of losing their h

They all need hanging from lamp posts. Frankly it's the only thing these feckers understand.

 

Not everyone, but probably some. You can't live on fags and betting slips.

 

Aye, some will. But I imagine it'll be a pretty small percentage. I doubt the majority of folk are happy to be living off food parcels.

 

He's a vile piece of ****. He turned up at the Work and Pensions Select Committee last week surrounded by bodyguards and armed police as he knew a disabled group were turning up to speak out about benefit cuts and ATOS. While waiting to go into the public gallery the disabled claimants had guns pointing in their direction. He keeps reiterating that the cuts are essential and genuine people will not suffer, he doesn't like to face it when it's in his face that his changes are making genuine people suffer. A gun in the face should keep then quiet though.

 

The growing reliance on food banks has for me been the saddest thing about living in the UK over the last few years. I volunteer for an organisation that helps to provide food and what started as a few hours a week is turning into nearly a full time job. The level of desperation from poor hard working people is heartbreaking. Then the Red Cross start delivering us food parcels for the forts time in 50 years is indicative of a government of millionaires who's real life experience is so limited. IDS is the worst kind of parasitical fool with no fresh ideas other than the workhouse strategy.

 

Not at all surprised.but don't expect it to be TV news headlines

They don't give a crap, the Lib Dems are aiding and abetting them. This country stinks at the top and until the ordinary person in the street wises up to this and does something about it the worse it will get. This will not get the publicity it deserves.

 

Don't blame them , after all the working class vote em in
Some on here swear by em
Deluded fools

 

I do blame them as they're the ones who are making the policies that millions are suffering from. Your right of course about the ordinary person voting them in, you use the term working classes, but it's not as simple as that nowadays.

 

we have the 'plastic middle class' people , some post on here - even more deluded than the prats setting the policies

 

Re: Not at all surprised.but don't expect it to be TV news headlines

The Lib Dems are the true political Quisling Party, scumbag tory collaberators, the **** on the bottom of the Eton Mess Party shoe

 

Like firing ping pong balls in a bar.