Current Affairs The General Election

[Bruce Wayne]

I’d like to see you don your chefs hat and boldly make your way into a housing estate armed only with a whisk and a sweet potato.

It's a serious point. It's widely regarded that breastfeeding is beneficial, yet Britain has the lowest rates in Europe. Should we not provide lactation support for mothers because it's seen as patronising by the men who make up these policies?

 

[abelard]

Today on Gogglebox: Benefits Street Edition

** cuts council funding by up to 70% **

** genuinely puzzled why there's nobody around to teach the poor how to behave like the middle class **

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Today on Gogglebox: Benefits Street Edition

** cuts council funding by up to 70% **

** genuinely puzzled why there's nobody around to teach the poor how to behave like the middle class **

There is in our council. Maybe you should hold yours to account. To be honest though, what is the point in trying to educate people full stop. It's clearly a waste of your time. If they're perpetually poor then you can maintain your virtuous position in perpetuity.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

It's all very 'white man's burden' among the left. Incredibly disturbing.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

It's a serious point. It's widely regarded that breastfeeding is beneficial, yet Britain has the lowest rates in Europe. Should we not provide lactation support for mothers because it's seen as patronising by the men who make up these policies?

I mean, I understand what you’re saying regarding cooking lessons etc, but I think you are unaware or disregarding, the chaotic manner in which many people live. Food banks are a symptom of a much wider problem.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

It's all very 'white man's burden' among the left. Incredibly disturbing.

I’ve got that book by Easterly(?) on the shelf. Might get round to reading it one day

 

[abelard]

If they're perpetually poor then you can maintain your virtuous position in perpetuity.

Of course, it would almost certainly be better if people considered the ramifications of creating a human life than if they ploughed on regardless, but such is life

 

[Jebus_lives]

It's a serious point. It's widely regarded that breastfeeding is beneficial, yet Britain has the lowest rates in Europe. Should we not provide lactation support for mothers because it's seen as patronising by the men who make up these policies?

Some places do. But free support is largely provided for by CCG health commissioning. The NHS guidance largely suggests, if you want to speak to an advisor face to face (where they don't offer home visits) then you have to go to a drop in centre. Lots of places now no longer have drop in centres - either because of poor understanding of their use or funding cuts.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I mean, I understand what you’re saying regarding cooking lessons etc, but I think you are unaware or disregarding, the chaotic manner in which many people live. Food banks are a symptom of a much wider problem.

I've no doubt that there are many issues that contribute to the rise in food bank usage, including the shambolic roll out of universal credit, the precarious nature of many jobs today, a dysfunctional housing market, poor budgeting skills among people, feckless fathers not taking responsibility for their children, and no doubt many more.

 

[abelard]

It's all very 'white man's burden' among the left. Incredibly disturbing.

Says the man who thinks the reason people are poor is not because they don't have enough money, but because they're too savage to know what a vegetable is

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Some places do. But free support is largely provided for by CCG health commissioning. The NHS guidance largely suggests, if you want to speak to an advisor face to face (where they don't offer home visits) then you have to go to a drop in centre. Lots of places now no longer have drop in centres - either because of poor understanding of their use or funding cuts.

Every mother is allocated a health visitor. Not all are specifically trained in breastfeeding, but they do have a degree of knowledge on the topic. As you say though, they aren't in a politically sensitive field, so have suffered cuts so that politically sensitive areas don't.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Says the man who thinks the reason people are poor is not because they don't have enough money, but because they're too savage to know what a vegetable is

Given diabetes and obesity statistics, I'd say a large proportion of the population don't know how to live healthily. Heaven forbid we actually focus on preventative care for these chronic issues however, we'll just load up the NHS and treat them later on when their heart packs in.

 

[abelard]

Given diabetes and obesity statistics, I'd say a large proportion of the population don't know how to live healthily. Heaven forbid we actually focus on preventative care for these chronic issues however, we'll just load up the NHS and treat them later on when their heart packs in.

Of course we should be doing that!!!!!!!!!!!

But you thought it would be helpful to eliminate all the services that used to do this, at the height of the worst recession in eighty years!!!!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Of course we should be doing that!!!!!!!!!!!

But you thought it would be helpful to eliminate all the services that used to do this, at the height of the worst recession in eighty years!!!!

When did I say that?

 

[Jebus_lives]

Every mother is allocated a health visitor. Not all are specifically trained in breastfeeding, but they do have a degree of knowledge on the topic. As you say though, they aren't in a politically sensitive field, so have suffered cuts so that politically sensitive areas don't.

In the two years since my daughter was born, I've seen my health visitor twice in that time for around 10 minutes.

The woman we saw has been a health visitor for around 25 years - the suggestion was that they are dealing with roughly double the children under 5 they were before. They certainly didn't have the time needed to sit and support us.