People who use food banks 'can't cook' - Your views online

A Tory MP says people use food banks because they cannot budget or cook properly. Lee Anderson dismissed concerns about the use of food banks, claiming the issue was instead “generation after generation who cannot cook properly” and “cannot budget”.

As the cost of living increases, more peope are falling back on food banks

Brian Masson: This is an easy thing to resolve. Firstly place a blackboard outside of Parliament. List all major expenditure for any family. Put the average costs for each item and add up. The total will come to around £25k. That is without any luxury expenditure covering treats, holidays, meals out, running a car. Fact. I did a report in 2015 on the impacts of benefit cuts on mobility in Glasgow. 60 per cent of families struggled in the winter to cover energy, food and transport costs. Goodness knows what the figure will be now. You cannot resolve problems until you accept they are there. This is a Hans Christian Anderson Emperor’s New Clothes moment. Poverty is the major problem facing this country and comments from government blaming the people will only fire the flames of unrest. Having millionaires from privileged backgrounds running the country is not the way forward. Time for change. One world, all equal.

Sue Cole: It is down to political choice – they are finding the money to fund arms for Ukraine and have now entered agreements to come to the aid of Finland. Don't get me wrong, world security is extremely important but where is the money going to come from? They can find it when it suits them. Don't forget poverty ultimately has a knock-on effect to other services such a the NHS.

Maria Thompson: I'm sure most people who are forced to use food banks would rather not. They still have to cook the food. This Tory clown is so out of touch it's an insult. How on Earth was he voted in? We need to bring in an intelligence test for Tory MPs.

Arthur Thompson: The Tory clown is correct in a way as the young ones I know buy takeaway food and very seldom cook, plus a certain percentage use food banks to save money for their drug habit. We need to eradicate food banks and give out food vouchers.

Anne Butler: I think there is an element of truth in what the MP said, though it’s badly put. Basic cooking and budgeting should be taught in school. Our mothers and grandmothers could make much of cheaper ingredients, but on the other hand the cost of electricity to make a meal from scratch needs to be taken into consideration now too.

James Thomas Kilpatrick: It's condescending, privileged garbage. You think people on the breadline don't spend tortured hours agonising over how to save money? How many rich Tories could cook on the budgets of the poorest in society? The very fact they are telling people to save money when they simply don't have it to save is exactly what is wrong with this wretched government.

Emma Malcom: More and more people have started using food banks quite simply because they know they exist. The media has become obsessed with them in recent years. People know they can get free food, which in some cases may very well be needed. In other cases it's simply a place to get free food, which frees up cash for “other things”.

Sheryl Mcnaught: When we were on lockdown I qualified for food parcels but chose not to accept one. I saw women posting pictures of food parcels they got while getting drunk and laughing about what they got for free. The same ones who go to the food bank yet don’t work, drive a car and go abroad on holiday.

Susan Thomson: Yes some people can’t cook or budget because they were never taught. Does this mean they deserve to starve?

Coalition talks

As council coalition talks continue, Edinburgh SNP group leader Adam McVey has said he still wants to do a deal with Labour to run the city, despite Labour’s Scottish leader Anas Sarwar ruling out formal coalitions.

Kenneth Harvey: If Cammy Day reneges on a significant point of differentiation between the parties on 5 May his contempt for Labour voters will be off the scale. The SNP only want Labour in a coalition to remove credible opposition. Labour in Edinburgh should be calling the SNP out and opposing them at every opportunity, not giving them an easy ride.

Ian Simpson: Better working with Labour than the Greens.

Karen C Smith: He still wants to deal with Labour because they were so easily manipulated last time.

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