Blyth MP Ian Levy has been slammed by his constituents after he published a Facebook post defending his decision to vote against proposals to extend free school meals into holidays for children living in poverty.
Mr Levy, Blyth Valley's first Tory MP since the constituency was created in 1950 and the first non-Labour Party MP since 1974, voted against Labour's motion to extend free school meals into holiday periods until Easter 2021, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on employment and the purses of families in his constituency.
Labour put forward the motion following a high profile campaign from footballer Marcus Rashford, who was made an MBE earlier this year after he successfully pushed for free meals for poor children during the summer holidays.
Mr Levy has been criticised for voting against the motion.
His Blyth Valley constituency has 5,167 children living in poverty, according to figures published by End Child Poverty and Loughborough University.
Mr Levy's 2019 Conservative Party election manifesto promised to "level up" the North and provide "huge investment into previously neglected constituencies like mine", the MP wrote on his own website in September.
In a Facebook post, the Conservative MP claimed that the "full facts" on the free school meals extension vote "have not been presented" and accused Labour of looking to "cause unnecessary stress" and "using children as political pawns".
He said he did not vote to "stop Free School Meals", that the Government has increased welfare spending, a further 50,000 children now get free school meals during term time and Northumberland County Council will be helping children who need it during half term.
He also said he expects the charity and community sector to step in to help people in need, before highlighting his own volunteer work and asking his Facebook followers not to make any "Angela Raynoresque" comments, after Deputy Labour Leader Angela Raynor was heard in the House of Commons using the word "scum" during a speech by Tory MP Chris Clarkson.
Many of Mr Levy's constituents and social media followers were unimpressed by his lengthy Facebook post.
Jesika Scott wrote: "Disgusting attitude. We are just thankful that we have good, honest people in our local communities that will go above and beyond out of their own POCKETS to help their neighbours."
David Kendall wrote: "Dress it up as you may, you still voted to take food out of our most vulnerable kids' mouths. Oh and you forgot to mention five of your fellow Tory MPs did not see it your way and had some backbone and voted against this callous act."
Lyndsay Gibson wrote: "I was one of the people who emailed you about this. I’m disappointed that I received a copy and pasted reply with no response to anything in my email. I didn’t need information about how FSM (Free School Meals) work. I’ve worked in schools long enough to know. Maybe you need to speak to the headteachers of the schools in Blyth who are providing breakfast, lunch and food parcels for their pupils."
Chris Ayres posted: "I work in education in the area and have seen first hand the meals going out to families during the summer. At times it was the main meal the child would get. The fact you voted against this being extended to support families during a tough winter ahead, many are struggling and have lost jobs imo (in my opinion) is letting the children of Blyth Valley down. You were voted in to help the area and the next generation. I think you failed us with your decision."
Louise Doyle wrote: "The conversations went on late into the evening with governors and school leaders at the schools I chair to ensure that the food we have bought combined with the fantastic work of local food banks will be enough.
"It is therefore deeply patronising to read that you are suggesting we don't know what you voted against.
"I took the time to email you and invite you to meet with my school teams to share with you the work being done to support our families most in need. What I received was a copy and paste reply without even an acknowledgement of the invitation. I've therefore emailed again and look forward to a reply that isn't written by someone in London. Thank you."
Among the many comments slamming Mr Levy, there were some which defend him.
"Well said Ian. Cheap political point scoring doesn’t do anyone any good. Labour are doing their usual grandstanding," wrote Ian Forster
Sandra Ferguson put: "It really annoys me when people comment about something and they don't know the full facts. Well done for speaking up Ian. Carry on doing the fantastic job your doing and don't listen to the negativity."
In an article by ChronicleLive political editor Jonathan Walker, Mr Levy said: "I do not dismiss the importance of ensuring that no child goes hungry. The vote last night was after a debate about how this can be achieved rather than whether it should be done at all.
"Opening schools to feed children year round is not a sensible option and it is right that parents instead receive direct financial help through tax credits or universal credit to feed their children at home during the holidays.
"It is important to remember that free school meals are not a general welfare measure. They are aimed at providing healthy meals for children at school to ensure disadvantaged students can learn to the best of their ability.
"Provision for free schools meals is ordinarily term time only and there has never been a requirement for schools to continue this provision during school holidays. While schools were restricted from opening to all pupils, additional support was given to families in recognition of the unprecedented levels of disruption and uncertainty for schools during this time but schools are now open once again.
"The Government has already increased universal credit by £20 a week, funded councils to provide emergency food assistance to families, and allocated £63 million to councils for families in hardship. The Treasury has also supported families through this difficult period with almost £53 billion worth of income protection schemes, and £9.3 billion of additional welfare payments."
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