The Adam Smith Institute (ASI), an openly neoliberal ‘think-tank’ founded just before Margaret Thatcher first entered Downing Street, was a key source of the policies that she inflicted on the UK.
Thatcher’s policies – further pursued in large part by Blair and subsequently accelerated by the coalition and then Tory government – drove skyrocketing inequality and the impoverishment of large sections of our society.
That impoverishment and the Tories’ hounding of the vulnerable turned the ‘foodbank’ phenomenon from a rarity under even Blair’s government into an endemic feature of UK society, with around 1.2 million people a year estimated to use them at least once, according to the Full Fact website.
This afternoon, two facets of UK inequality came together.
The ASI held a conference today in the Holborn area of London, after which it tweeted:
The impoverished people driven to foodbanks by the policies of this government will no doubt have been thankful for the sandwiches – although foodbanks usually ask for dry and tinned food for greater longevity.
But the irony of one of the three main think-tanks that inspired Thatcher to begin the creation of the current UK political and economic landscape tweeting to offer its leftovers to the foodbanks that help those damaged by her policies will not be lost on many.
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They are taking the piss !!
Wonder what state those sarnies were in. People picking over them with unwashed hands after visiting toilets? Coughing and spluttering?
Beyond irony.
The definition of neoliberal philosophy in action WOW – the elite continue to expect that we accept crumbs from their tables!
They just don’t get it
Bunch of arrogant thickos. Even if foodbanks could get them out in good time, H&S regs would prevent them from issuing fresh food in the form of sarnies……literally: the offering of crumbs from the rich man’s table. Bring on the guillotine!
A total PR stunt simple as !
The research you link to does NOT support your claim that 1.2 million people per year visit food banks.
Would you prefer no offer of food?
And not just neoliberal, but openly neoliberal – how very dare they!
Yes it does. It says Trussell Trust estimates it gave food to almost 600k people and that the TT represents about half the UK’s foodbank traffic.
I would prefer no offers of food to be needed, because people in one of the world’s richest countries shouldn’t be reduced to having no food and needing to go to a charity for it
I THINK THIS IS CALLED HYPOCRISY
Adam Smith Institute three day conference to find an example proving the effectiveness of trickle down theory – this was what they came up with.
Make the bastards that are attending go without food for three days and then see how they fare.
The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate!
Yes Neo-Liberal Barbarians who who have also penetrated Foreign Aid disastrously but they don’t even understand their own ‘hero’ who argued against bending policies to favour the intersts of the powerful. Neo-Liberalism will perish because of one simple thing (as exemplified in shorter university degrees, the latest Tory Neo-Liberal ruse) BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING AND THE VALUE OF NOTHING!
Foodbanks can’t deal with perishable goods – they don’t have refrigeration, and only open on set days and times. And the sandwiches will have been at ambient temperature for some time, so great care would be needed that they are not a food hazard. A shelter for the homeless might be able to use them, because they have clients needing to be fed every evening. It just shows how little they know about the whole situation.
For practical purposes food bank use is lower now than it was in 09/10. In addition if you get crisis help from a TT food bank you do not have to repay it. How is this a worse state of affairs?
Define ‘practical purposes’. It must have a very weird definition in your mind to be lower now than 09/10, when in reality it has multiplied many times over.
It’s a worse state of affairs because in one of the world’s richest countries, millions of people should not be reduced to going to a charity because they’ve literally got nothing to eat.
Food banks provide a source of short-term help to get you through a short-term crisis. Contingency help if you like.
Back in 09/10 people got budgeting loans and crisis loans, and spent the money at Tescos and other places where you buy the things you might need. The foodbank voucher was for practical purposes cash from the government, and it’s repayable. Use of crisis help is lower now than back then – the numbers are easily searched for. You think this is a worse state of affairs now – that’s your choice to believe that but I’ll take free market philanthropy over your repayable government hand outs thanks.
By the way the UK is in the mid-20s of world league tables of rich countries ( GDP per head by PPP ). That’s not ‘one of the world’s richest countries’ but it does make us one of the richer countries – championship standard if you like.
‘Philanthropy’ depends on whims and is in no way comparable to governments doing their job properly. This one clearly ain’t
“In addition if you get crisis help from a TT food bank you do not have to repay it.”
Sorry about the choice of expression, BUT…….Fucking Ada!!!!
I though I’d heard it all, too. 🙁
Get crisis help from the government, a bank, a loan shark, or a tight-arsed friend and it’s repayable. Get it from an EU food bank and you have to pay taxes to boot via 3rd parties to support them and suffer under regulations which say they have to source EU food.
The Trussell Trust is not part of the EU food bank network, and doesn’t get you to repay the help you get. This is a bad thing how?
TT and Foodbanks have absolutely zero to do with the EU. Your monomania is showing. And govt crisis help use to – and should – be free
So Andrew you condone the use of food banks and are happy that we as a country are in this state because of a deliberate political choice by the Tory party to carry out Austerity policies that help create this scenario. This is the only conclusion one can draw from your defence of this situation. SHAMEFUL !