A cabinet minister’s 5-word response to Marcus Rashford’s free school meals plea had the entire internet shaking its head

John Plunkett. Updated June 16th, 2020

You’ll probably have seen by now footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign for free school meals.

The Manchester United and England star wants the government to extend its free school meals voucher system for low-income families over the summer holiday period, a campaign which has so far been rejected by Boris Johnson.

Here’s what Rashford said on Twitter today.

1. When you wake up this morning and run your shower, take a second to think about parents who have had their water turned off during lockdown #maketheuturn

— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 16, 2020

2. When you turn on your kettle to make a cup of tea or coffee think of those parents who have had to default on electricity bill payments just to make ends meet having lost their jobs during the pandemic#maketheuturn

— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 16, 2020

3. And when you head to the fridge to grab the milk, stop and recognise that parents of at least 200,000 children across the country this morning are waking up to empty shelving #maketheuturn

— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 16, 2020

4. Recognise children around the country are this morning innocently questioning ‘why?’

9 out of 30 children in any given classroom are today asking ‘why?’

‘Why does our future not matter?’ #maketheuturn

— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 16, 2020

And it got overwhelming support from lots of people, as you’ll see from all the times it’s been shared.

Not from Therese Coffey, though, the Conservative MP who is also Boris Johnson’s secretary of state for work and pensions. Here’s the entirety of what she had to say in response to Rashford’s campaign on Twitter today.

‘Water cannot be disconnected though’

There’s tone deaf, there’s missing the point … and then there’s Therese Coffey. Here are are just a few of the things people were saying about it today.

https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson_MP/status/1272799838657228800?s=20

Go Therese! I remember when you voted against an amendment to force landlords to maintain homes as 'fit for human habitation'. You stick to your guns babe.

— Mark ne-Francois-pas MP (@MarkFrancois12) June 16, 2020

What about his main point, that families are already struggling and extending vouchers to cover the summer would show the govt is doing 'whatever it takes' to help those in real need in this pandemic?

— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) June 16, 2020

Piers Morgan – Therese Coffey, who is utterly useless, shame on you. You should delete that one line tweet and support @MarcusRashford.#GMB #maketheUturn pic.twitter.com/QFU3PvVChb

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) June 16, 2020

I’ve never worked as a political strategist, but I’d suggest this is perhaps not the best way to respond to a steamrollering public campaign with a strong emotional component https://t.co/O5lCeUzLzO

— Alan White (@aljwhite) June 16, 2020

I can only assume Therese Coffey is trying to help out Grant Shapps — currently doing media round defending no summer free meals for children — by soaking up some of the flak herself

— John Crace (@JohnJCrace) June 16, 2020

This is the response of the Secretary of State responsible for welfare and benefits to @MarcusRashford’s call to help those in extreme poverty? https://t.co/W3p6AUska2

— Jonathan Bartley (@jon_bartley) June 16, 2020

Coffey claimed £179k expenses in 2018/19.

I doubt she needs to worry about hot water.#schoolmeals4summer

— Sean Davids (@MancTotter) June 16, 2020

Here’s what Rashford had to say in response.

I’m concerned this is the only tweet of mine you acknowledged. Please, put rivalries aside for a second, and make a difference #maketheuturn

— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 16, 2020

We look forward to reading her reply. While we wait, here are a few things other people have had to say about Rashford’s campaign.

The people arguing that hungry British children should be denied help in the school holidays seem to be *exactly the same people* that argue we should ‘help our own’ instead of sending money to countries suffering from famine.
I’m beginning to think they’re not very honest.

— James O’Brien (@mrjamesob) June 15, 2020

The plea @MarcusRashford is making comes from a place of terrible experience. Extending free school meals across the summer isn’t just some nice add on; it’s vital for millions of children mired in poverty and at risk of going hungry. #maketheUturn https://t.co/5XE8rtideo

— Jay Rayner (@jayrayner1) June 16, 2020

I didn’t think I could love Marcus Rashford more but here it is https://t.co/4FRXL594Jf

— Tiffany Stevenson (@tiffstevenson) June 15, 2020

UPDATE

And here’s what was written, sorry, what she said later on Twitter.

Hi @MarcusRashford, I welcome your passion for supporting children and the most vulnerable in society – a passion we share. We are working to the same aim. I & this Govt will continue to actively help and support families and businesses through this emergency and beyond

— Thérèse Coffey (@theresecoffey) June 16, 2020

@MarcusRashford We supported people renting and ensure they cannot be evicted & intervened with electricity suppliers on bills. We have kept schools open for vulnerable children and those of key workers. We will continue to support the economy and help all of us get through this

— Therese Coffey #ProtectEachOtherSaveLives (@theresecoffey) June 16, 2020

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