TORY MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has been roundly ridiculed and berated after his loathsome criticism of Unicef yesterday, in which he accused the global humanitarian agency of acting shamefully, after they moved to help feed poor kids in London.
Earlier this week, the UN body launched a domestic emergency response in the UK for the first time in its more than 70-year history, promising £25,000 to the community project School Food Matters. Rees-Mogg – reportedly worth £150m – was furious.
The money will be used to supply 18,000 nutritious breakfasts to 25 schools in South London over the two-week Christmas holidays and February half-term.
Rees-Mogg said ”I think it is a real scandal that Unicef should be playing politics in this way when it is meant to be looking after people in the poorest, the most deprived, countries of the world where people are starving, where there are famines and where there are civil wars, and they make cheap political points of this kind, giving, I think, £25,000 to one council. It is a political stunt of the lowest order.”
Anna Kettley, the director of programmes at Unicef UK, said the emergency response was “introduced to tackle the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus crisis and reach the families most in need.”
Labour MP Zarah Sultana compared the plight of the children in South London to the rising fortunes of Tory donors.
She told the Commons that ”the New York Times revealed that of the roughly £16bn worth of UK Government contracts made public, about half went to companies either run by friends and associates of politicians in the Tories or with no prior experience or a history of controversy.”
Sultana said: “For the first time ever Unicef, the UN agency responsible for providing humanitarian aid to children, is having to feed working class kids in the UK.
“But while children go hungry, a wealthy few enjoy obscene riches from Tory donors handed billions in dodgy Covid contracts, or people like the leader of the house who is reportedly in line to receive an £800,000 dividend payout this year.”
Rees-Mogg was questioned by MP Sultana as to his comments regarding Unicef and what if anything the government plans to do with assisting those hungry and in poverty.
He remained and unmoved and doubled down on his comments…
“It is a political stunt of the lowest order. What is this government doing about child poverty? We are committed to our manifesto pledge to reduce child poverty. We’ve expanded free school meals for all five to seven year olds benefitting 1.4 million children, we’ve doubled free childcare for eligible working parents, and will establish a one billion [pound] childcare plan giving parents support and freedom to look after children.
“We’re spending £400m of taxpayers money to support children, families and the most vulnerable over winter and through 2021.
“Since 2010 to 2018/19, there are 100,000 fewer children in absolute poverty in this country. This is a record of success of conservatism and Unicef should be ashamed”.
