UK minister David Mundell flees poverty protest in Scotland

David Mundell

“Fluffy” Mundell flees the food bank

Shameless government minister hightails it from an angry crowd protesting against the “hurt and misery” of savage cuts that are pushing millions into poverty and hunger
Stuart Littlewood writes:

It was not your usual celebration to mark the launch of a new venture. While Secretary of State for Scotland David “Fluffy” Mundell was opening a food bank upstairs from a baker’s in Dumfries town centre, noisy demonstrators gathered in the street outside demanding he came down to explain himself. But “Fluffy” chose to treat his constituents with contempt and slink out the back door under police protection and into a waiting car.

UK minister David Mundell escapes angry poverty protest

Minister of the Crown David “Fluffy” Mundell makes his escape from the back door into a waiting car

I was witnessing another extraordinary moment in the Tories’ suicide mission in Scotland. Mundell, Conservative MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, is the sole survivor of his species north of the border – their last man standing.

The irony of accepting an invitation from the Trussell Trust to open one of their food banks – when his government’s austerity measures and especially its welfare reforms have pushed more and more people over the edge into despair – seemed completely lost on “Fluffy”. Did he think endorsing the food bank would show his caring side?

At the same time Obama was giving the situation an extra sadistic twist by congratulating Fluffy’s boss, the warmonger David Cameron, for keeping “defence” spending at 2 per cent of GDP – i.e. more than USD 60 billion. So countless Britons go hungry and their children are brought up in poverty to ensure our continued support for US-Israeli militaristic ambitions.

Over 1 million people – including almost 400,000 children – received three days’ food from Trussell Trust’s 400-plus foodbanks in the last 12 months. The number of food banks launched rose by 5 per cent last year, while numbers of people helped by food banks rose by 19 per cent. Problems with social welfare benefits remain the largest driver. But the last year has seen an increase in the numbers referred due to low income. Food-bank managers say that clients who are in employment are struggling with insecure work, low wages and high living costs. Referrals to food banks due to sickness, homelessness, delayed wages and unemployment have also increased.

The trust quotes a qualified teacher and mother of two as saying:

I have an 18-month-old son and an eight-year-old stepson, I work part time as a teacher and my husband has an insecure agency contract. There are times when he doesn’t get enough hours of work, and we really struggle to afford food and pay the bills. The food bank meant we could put food on the table.

Food banks operated by the Trussell Trust are run in partnership with churches and communities. Last year, says the trust, the UK public donated 10,280 tonnes of food. And nearly all food banks provide additional services alongside food to help people out of crisis, long term.

The demonstration in Dumfries was supported by Councillor Pat Lee (Solidarity Scotland party) who travelled from South Lanarkshire. He told me that over 20 per cent of Dumfries children are in poverty, and a similar percentage in Lanarkshire, thanks to Tory austerity policies. “We are here to hold Mundell to account for his hypocrisy.”

Councillor Pat Lee (South Lanarkshire) calling on David Mundell to come down and face the music

Councillor Pat Lee (South Lanarkshire) calling on David Mundell to come down and face the music

Lee recently quit the SNP (Scottish National Party) to join Solidarity Scotland.

I can return to following my political conscience – the fight for socialism, social justice, workers rights and fairness – and I believe the vehicle to do this is solidarity. There have been a number of times I have felt constrained by being held to the SNP whip.

A disabled protester, Lesley-Anne McLelland, is reported as saying:

It is absolutely ridiculous that so many people have to rely on food banks in Scotland in this day and age. We are the only oil-rich country in the world where people have to be fed using them.

For Mundell to come and open this while his government is putting through parliament more hurt and misery for people is disgusting. He didn’t even have the guts to face anyone who was here today.

“Fluffy” Mundell has denied there’s any connection between food bank use and his party’s welfare reforms. However, the demands on food banks are increasing significantly as the Tories turn the screw.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email