https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10808891/Tory-Lee-Anderson-says-throwing-money-ay-foodbanks-not-solution-poor-learn-cook.html

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Tory MP Lee Anderson today hit back in the furious row over his claim there's not a 'massive use' for food banks in Britain as he offered 'proof' that meals can be cooked for 30p each.

The Conservative backbencher provoked criticism from all political parties - including government ministers - after he suggested struggling Britons are only using food banks because they 'can't budget' and 'can't cook a meal from scratch'.

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He's right; it's pretty easy to cook 170 meals for £50. It's why food vendors make a killing at festivals and fairs, why communes get by so easily, why school and companies canteens are such big business.

What's not easy if you are single or a lone family is scraping £50 together or finding 170 people to join a group so one isn't eating the same meal every day for six weeks, or finding the money to buy a fridge big enough for it all and keep that running.

His 30p per meal doesn't even buy a single pepper, hardly touches a £3 tin of Spam, doesn't buy a bag of rice or pasta, a bread roll or pint of milk.

Food has always been the more you buy the cheaper it gets. That's why supermarkets are now removing muli-packs so the poor don't get those savings. They will gouge the poor any way they can.

What batch cooking actually proves is that those who have access to resources, loans, a support group can get by while those without those really can't.

Refectory meals and company canteens were godsends for me. A cheap supply of wholesome goodness with plenty of variety and extra chips when one had enough sense to to be friendly with the catering staff.

I have always thought local councils, charities, clubs and churches should open community canteens, and I think they are desperately needed now. But getting those off the ground proves almost impossible. Only Sikh and Muslim communities seem to be able to manage it amongst themselves.

Anderson might like to champion that, maybe have a chat with St Marcus about it, turn it into government policy. It is after all what got many through the war so should appeal to any compassionate tory.

But, enjoying the high-life, being paid £80K a year, claiming £200K in expenses, with a couple of million in the bank, I guess Anderson isn't one of those.