England football star and food poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford has slammed a Tory MP for appearing to blame parents in poverty for struggling to feed their own children.
Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake suggested it is the responsibility of parents, not the Government, to ensure children did not go hungry.
Mr Hollinrake made the comment in reply to someone challenging him after he praised the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
But one Twitter user challenged the MP leading to the bizarre comment.
They asked the MP: “Whilst we’re discussing food, why does it take footballer @MarcusRashford to make a stand for the hungry children in our society? Is that not the Governments job?”
Mr Hollinrake replied: “Where they can, it’s a parents job to feed their children.”
But the reply was seen by the Mancester United star, who has launched a campaign to end child hunger in the UK after forcing Ministers to U-turn and give children on free school meals access to food in the summer.
Mr Rashford blasted Mr Hollinrake in a tweet that read: "I would urge you to talk to families before tweeting. "To this day I haven’t met one parent who hasn’t wanted or felt the responsibility to feed their children..."
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner praised Mr Rashford for standing up for those in need.
She said: “Boris Johnson's out-of-touch Tories either have no idea about the impact of a decade of austerity on families across our country or they simply don't care.
“Tory MPs have a lot to learn from Marcus Rashford, an exceptional young man who is using his platform and success to help millions of others who are less fortunate than himself.
“With child poverty already at obscene levels, the Tories should focus on addressing the crisis of child poverty they have created.”
A Channel 4 reporter Rob Windscheffel commented: “Throughout years of covering stories involving poverty I’ve met countless parents who wouldn’t eat in order to make sure their kids could have a meal.
"But that’s the stark reality facing some families.”
Among those who also replied was the chief executive of First Days Children's Charity, Emma Cantrell.
She said that the MP's comment was typical of the "type of ignorance that we encounter every day" and added: "We have also not come across a single parent who isn't desperate to provide everything their children need."
Last week, Mr Rashford launched a taskforce to work with some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets and food brands to help prevent child hunger.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Number 10 will “carefully consider” the recommendations from the taskforce.
