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Liam O'Dell
May 11, 2022
Related video: Keir Starmer accuses government of being 'bereft of leadership' amid cost of living crisis
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Political photoshoots at food banks will never fail to be an incredibly tasteless phenomenon, and a Tory mayor appearing to laugh as she opened one in Dartford is an example of that.
Images were shared by Dartford Foodbank to a Facebook group on Tuesday, showing Conservative councillor Rosanna Currans tilting her head back while appearing to laugh as she wore her golden mayoral chain and held a red ribbon to a new food bank.
The ribbon was cut by council leader Jeremy Kite, who seemed to sport a slight smile while holding the scissors.
The Facebook post read: “It was a great honour today to host the Right Honourable Mayor of Dartford, leader of the council Councillor Jeremy Kite MBE and also Alex from Bellway Homes. Everyone enjoyed a tour of our work at Dartford Foodbank and helped officially open our new venue at Spital Street Methodist Church.”
Speaking after the visit, Ms Currans said: “It is just an amazing job the people do, most of whom are volunteers. Thank you to all concerned and to those who supply the food bank.”
The mayor has since limited comments on her Facebook post about the opening, with users flooding other posts on her page with images of her apparent laughing.
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It also appears as though the photos were first shared yesterday, before they were deleted and reposted without wide smiles on Wednesday morning.
But one of the images was later shared to Twitter by former Labour councillor Jonathon Hawkes, and the tweet later went viral on the platform:
WTF are they all so happy about?https://twitter.com/JonathonHawkes/status/1524144670959411202\u00a0\u2026— James Oh Brien (@James Oh Brien) 1652258756
Can't quite put my finger on it but isn't there something a bit amiss in these joyful pictures of the Mayor of Dartford.... opening a food bankpic.twitter.com/l2QgMq8bQO— Otto English (@Otto English) 1652253288
Now that the Tories have suddenly removed this picture, I\u2019d just like to remind you that it\u2019s the Tory leader of Dartford, finding the opening of yet another foodbank to be cause for celebration.pic.twitter.com/gsqa0qaBCK— Barbra Queen (@Barbra Queen) 1652261498
The Tory leader of Dartford cutting the ribbon on another foodbank. \nLet that sink in.\n\nSmiling.\nCutting a ribbon.\nCelebrating the opening of a foodbank.\n\nThey should hang their heads in shame that people rely on foodbanks in 21st Century Conservative Britain.\n\nIt is a disgrace.pic.twitter.com/k6Z4G4Qnl0— Sir Jon Harvey of Angryshire. (@Sir Jon Harvey of Angryshire.) 1652250325
We hopefully don’t need to remind you that there’s a cost of living crisis ongoing in the UK, and that food banks tend to be used by those struggling to make ends meet.
So while we doubt they were laughing about that, the optics don't look great at all.
Indeed, Mr Kite phoned into LBC presenter James O’Brien’s show on Wednesday to offer an explanation, saying “there was a bit of a joke about the countdown before the photo was taken”.
He said: "I love my town, I love the people in it and I am trying to do the right thing.
"Food banks began under Labour. This was not a party and really if it was it was organised by the people who volunteer and run the food bank.
“The necessity of food banks are a real scar on our country. The organisers thought it was appropriate and that's why we did [the opening].”
Indy100 has contacted Ms Currans for comment.
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