Bolton West – Bolton TUC

A few photos and two short videos from yesterday’s protests outside the offices of local Tory MP’s Mark Logan (Bolton North East) and Chris Green (Bolton West) organised by Bolton TUC. Also, of messages left outside the offices of James Grundy (Leigh) by members of the public. All three Conservative MP’s voted against the motion to extend free school meals over school holidays until Easter 2021.

The motion was lost by 61 votes.

A spokesperson for Bolton TUC said: “Bolton TUC are gravely concerned about the plight of people in Bolton as we see the impact of Government policy that sees in-work poverty rising.

“So today Bolton TUC, members of local political parties along with members of faith and community groups will visit the constituency offices of Chris Green MP and Mark Logan MP with a visual representation of our concerns about children going hungry during the coming Christmas holiday and to ask them to apply pressure, alongside Yasmin Qureshi MP, upon the Government to put in place temporary measures that will see children provided with a nutritious meal every day until a permanent solution can be found.

“We have wrote to the MPs to invite them to meet with us in a covid safe environment.

“The Government’s decision to make sure young people could get a decent lunch while schools were closed over the Easter, half-term and the summer holidays was a massive relief to many which not only provided nutrition but a reduction in anxiety that relentlessly worrying about feeding children brings and we wholeheartedly hope that the three Bolton MPs will support our call that the same provision will be extended over the Christmas period.

“We are so proud to be part of the Bolton community that has pulled together with the council to intervene but the most vulnerable members of our community cannot be left to rely on the kindness of strangers which is why we are calling upon the government to come up with a permanent solution.”

Greater Manchester TUC President and Bolton TUC member Stephen Hall said: “It is morally reprehensible and simply unacceptable for our local Conservative MP’s and the Conservative Government to deny our poorest children the benefits of a nutritious meal during the school holidays when the cost of so doing pales into insignificance compared to the £10billion+ cost of a covid track and trace system which is clearly not World beating and doesn’t actually work.”