Marcus has shown how to hold No 10 to account
MARCUS Rashford’s impassioned plea has won the day! The government has done a U-turn and as a result, children who might otherwise have gone hungry will be receiving food vouchers over the summer holidays.
In persuading the government to do the decent thing, Marcus was unflinching in putting forward details of his family’s experiences, only made bearable by his mother’s determination to do her best for her family.
He mentions the invidious aspect of the benefits system which only supports the first two children in a family. It’s all right for Jacob Rees-Mogg to have six children with his inherited wealth and the assistance of a live-in nanny but it’s not all right for Mrs Rashford to have five children.
Marcus’s long and carefully though-out letter spells out, for those of us lucky enough not to have endured the cruelty of the current benefits system, that we must not forget that the Tory government which developed the current system, was put in power by democratic vote, the present government achieving their runaway landslide with the help of vast swathes of former Labour voters.
Whether we voted Tory or otherwise at the last election, we must all examine our consciences. Do we want our country to be a place where disadvantaged people are cruelly treated and denied the basic human rights most of us take for granted? At the end of the day, we live in a democracy and whichever way we vote we must all share the responsibility for looking after those less fortunate.
Marcus has shown us that minds can be changed. It is up to the rest of us to grumble less between ourselves and keep our elected representatives on their toes and aware, whatever their politics, that a society to be proud of is one where the disadvantaged are cared for humanely, and not treated as scavengers.
Rod Slater, Lymm
Motivation not in doubt
HOW sad that Rob of Prestwich feels obliged to have a go at Marcus Rashford over his support of the campaign to get meal vouchers for disadvantaged children (Viewpoints, June 16).
I’ve never understood the logic behind the idea that some children qualify for a free meal when they are in school, but not when the school is closed. Do children not get hungry during the school holidays?
I assume Marcus Rashford referred to his own childhood experiences to explain why he was sympathetic to the difficulties faced by underprivileged children. What a pity that Rob’s memories of going hungry in the 1970s haven’t made him more empathetic.
As someone who grew up in the 1940s and 50s, I know that kids often went hungry then, but we are now in 2020, shouldn’t we have moved on by now?
I also note that Rob seems to think Manchester United should be feeding the hungry. Apart from the fact that United’s charitable foundation already supports food banks, is he really suggesting that a football club should take on what is one of the responsibilities of Government?
What next? Football clubs funding the armed forces, rich pop stars paying for road repairs, wealthy entrepreneurs footing the bill for street lighting?
It’s interesting, too, that Rob feels Rashford is indulging in ‘identity politics’ which is defined as a tendency for people of a particular religion, race, social background, etc., to form exclusive political alliances.
Here we have a wealthy young man promoting the needs of the deprived, so which particular aspect does Rob consider is the footballer’s motivation?
Brian Travis, Salford
Dye illegal ravers purple
I HAVE read several articles lamenting young people’s loneliness during lockdown and the need to attend illegal raves.
However, given the degree of a variety of social media platforms that they can access to contact friends, I can only think ... they have basically no long-term consequential thinking process. For example ,I doubt very much they have their own household and currently live with parents, possibly in a multi-generational household, whom they could infect. If their household adults died they would be in dire straits.
In my view ,the police should be able to disperse via helicopter, smart water. Dye them all purple so that we know who should be in quarantine and who should be made to clean up the mess. Tracey Haworth, via email
How to stop rave chaos
I WAS one of just three people plus a council worker clearing up after the recent rave at Broadhurst Park, Moston, when our playing field was left in a disgraceful state but sadly, Daisy Nook looked worse.
What has happened to this country when people consider it acceptable to have an illegal party and throw all kinds of litter on the ground and then simply walk away?
What were their parents thinking in allowing this to happen?
There will be many photos of those taking part circulating on the internet.
Why not ask if anyone recognises them? People who are furious at the noise, disruption and resultant mess would probably have no hesitation in shopping them to local councils so they can be fined.
Next time, put a fence round the rave while it’s taking place and when it’s over provide the ravegoers with gloves, litter pickers and black bags and make them shift their own mess. They won’t be so ready to throw litter ever again. Observer, Moston