Marcus Rashford and Ministers should be on same side over child poverty – The Yorkshire Post says

TODAY’S report claiming that half a million people could be plunged into “deep poverty” by the Covid-19 crisis should be set in the context of the war of words between Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake and Marcus Rashford, the Manchester United and England footballer.
By YP Comment
Published 9th Sep 2020, 05:49 BST
Graeme Bandeira's tribute to Marcus Rashford.Graeme Bandeira's tribute to Marcus Rashford.
Graeme Bandeira's tribute to Marcus Rashford.

Mr Hollinrake pointed out on Twitter that it is the job of parents “to feed their children” before the footballer, also a child poverty campaigner following his school meals campaign, replied: “To this day I haven’t met one parent who hasn’t wanted or felt the responsibility to feed their children.”

This one exchange encapsulated the dilemma facing the country – just what more can be done to prevent a generation of children facing such hardship, as set out by the York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation today, when the economy is so fragile and tax rises an unpalatable prospect to many.

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A point made by Mr Hollinrake who has previously argued for the welfare system to do more to help the most needy, it also shows the importance of the Government using every tactic in its policy playbook to avoid scoring a political own goal when far more people trust Mr Rashford than most MPs.

Manchester and England striker Marcus Rashford is now a noted child poverty campaigner.Manchester and England striker Marcus Rashford is now a noted child poverty campaigner.
Manchester and England striker Marcus Rashford is now a noted child poverty campaigner.

This includes early intervention, built on the SureStart programme pioneered by Labour, to bespoke skills training for unemployed parents while remembering – at the same time – that education is the best route out of long-term poverty. On this, the Government needs Mr Rashford, a role model who knows about real-life hardship from his own personal experiences, on its side rather than against it.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson

Related topics:Kevin HollinrakeMarcus RashfordThirskMaltonYorkshire PostGovernmentEnglandManchester United

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