Letter to our local rag, the Western Gazette about our MP Marcus Fysh distorting the facts:-Free School Meals During School Holidays
“Dear Editor
It’s a bit rich of my MP, Marcus Fysh to accuse Preston Academy principal Gregg Morrison of spreading lies and division (Western Gazette, October 29th 2020).
Mr Fysh is an intelligent man, so he must have known that two statements he made in an interview on Sky News on October 24th were misleading.
First, he stated “It isn’t a principle that we should agree to, that the state is somehow responsible for everybody’s children”. He knows perfectly well that Marcus Rashford’s campaign and the vote in Parliament last week was about extending free meals for needy children through the school holidays between now and Easter. It’s only for children who qualify for free school meals during term time, not for everybody’s kids as Mr Fysh suggested.
Second, he said “I’ve not seen any evidence in my constituency, none has been presented to me, of people who are worried about this particular period being an issue”. That statement is demonstrably untrue. My wife emailed him on June 15th in which she said “In Somerset 11.7% of School children are eligible for free school meals consequently risking serious malnutrition over the summer”. Nationally the figure was 15% in midsummer and it’s risen since then with rising unemployment due to Covid-19. I know of others in his constituency who have written to him about children going hungry during school holidays. My wife didn’t receive a reply until last week in which he avoided all the concerns she’d raised in June.
Come on please Marcus Fysh MP!
We don’t have to agree on every issue, but please stick to the facts. You lose respect whenever you stray from the truth.
Yours sincerely
Alan Macalan“
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