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Louis Staples
Sep 07, 2020
Marcus Rashford has been influential off the field
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A Conservative MP has been called out by footballer Marcus Rashford for saying it was a "parent's job to feed their children".
Kevin Hollinrake, who represents Thirsk and Malton, was originally tweeting about the success of the government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
Then one user replied asking why it took a campaign from Rashford to prompt a government U-turn on providing free lunch vouchers to children over the school holidays
The person said:
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 Government's job?
To which Hollinrake replied:
@brybarrett999 @MarcusRashford Where they can, it’s a parents job to feed their children— Kevin Hollinrake MP (@Kevin Hollinrake MP) 1599375427
Then Rashford responded directly.
I would urge you to talk to families before tweeting. To this day I haven’t met one parent who hasn’t wanted or fel… https://t.co/buhMolLp3t— Marcus Rashford MBE (@Marcus Rashford MBE) 1599382507
Put to the side that this comment came from an MP. It’s comments like this that prevent people from speaking their… https://t.co/FDMmMD2aBv— Marcus Rashford MBE (@Marcus Rashford MBE) 1599394928
The Manchester United player was congratulated by prime minister Boris Johnson earlier this summer after successfully campaigning for the government to extend free school meals. He also recently joined forces with some of the biggest food brands to create a taskforce to try and cut child food poverty.
Rashford’s response was widely commended on social media.
@MarcusRashford When a 22 year old professional footballer is more empathetic to the needs of society than an elect… https://t.co/XlavOB6SPe— Keith Newman (@Keith Newman) 1599383001
While the MP’s comments didn’t go down so well.
@MarcusRashford It’s this type of ignorance that we encounter every day at @Firstdays_. We have also not come acros… https://t.co/k2XjMWkNff— Emma Cantrell (@Emma Cantrell) 1599382681
@MarcusRashford The level of ignorance he shows here is alarming. For anyone, let alone an MP. Why does he think food banks exist?— Chrissy Kinsella (@Chrissy Kinsella) 1599382738
@kevinhollinrake @brybarrett999 @MarcusRashford For the 100 hundred people who agreed and liked the disgusting resp… https://t.co/TqZ5hrXBxV— Ste Reid (@Ste Reid) 1599387017
Although some people did agree with the MP.
@MarcusRashford Marcus..... I love what you are doing, but you have really misunderstood his tweet. He was asked is… https://t.co/TPOYW66bcG— Prof.Petro Nicolaides (@Prof.Petro Nicolaides) 1599386089
In response to Marcus Rashford urging the Govt to feed "hungry children", this MP wrote "where they can, it's a par… https://t.co/p5aFGjVp9O— Julia Hartley-Brewer (@Julia Hartley-Brewer) 1599428351
Before coronavirus hit, child poverty had risen to record levels in the UK, with some estimates suggesting that 37 per cent of children could be living in poverty.