Revelations about a new Tory MP’s second job show how f**ked up Britain now is
CORRECTION: This article was updated at 2.40pm on 17 December to attribute the original report to Novara Media rather than the Independent.
Miriam Cates won the seat of Penistone and Stocksbridge for the Conservatives on 12 December. Boris Johnson threw his weight behind Cates. But who exactly is she?
Well, she’s certainly someone who’s fallen on her feet in austerity-ravaged Britain (unlike the millions of children living in poverty). Not only has she secured a place in parliament with the party responsible for that austerity but, as Novara Media‘s Craig Gent and Charlotte England revealed, she and her husband also run a company that charges charities to help them clean up the mess created by it.
The foodbank entrepreneurs
Cates and her husband launched an app called Foodbank in 2014. As Novara Media reported, the app:
allowed them [food banks] to post “shopping lists” for people interested in donating, according to its website.
Cates charges foodbanks £180 for “registering and subscribing” to the app. The initiative appears to be part of Donate Technologies, whose CEO is the MP’s husband Dave Cates. The technology company’s website explains what its “vision” is:
With a successful background in software delivery, we saw the potential for a digital solution to transform the way charities interact with their supporters and keep them engaged.
Read on...
Amid the vicious austerity regime, charities have become more important than ever. The explosion of foodbank use in Britain – and in England in particular – illustrates this. So yes, there is lots of “potential” for companies to prosper by providing ‘solutions’ to the charities that “keep people alive” as they’re abandoned by the Conservative government.
Nothing but pride
Cates has defended the app on Facebook. She said:
A story is circulating that implies – completely incorrectly – that I have some how tried to ‘make profit’ from Foodbanks.
It is sad that instead of recognising the good that this App has done, and how much it has cost us to produce, my opponents want to twist this good news story into something that they think will give them political advantage.
I’m very proud of the Foodbank App and its impact. I’m proud of the contribution that our business – and so many other small businesses – make to our community, day in, day out.
But Labour candidate Francyne Johnson, who stood against Cates in the constituency, told Novara Media:
This revelation is deeply worrying, especially when you consider how the use of food banks has increased massively due to Conservative party policies…
Food banks are charitable services often run by local churches and charities helping the most vulnerable in society, and any attempt to profit from them would be appalling.
Really?
Revelations about the Tory MP’s foodbank app have caused outrage among the public and rightly so.
There’s, of course, nothing wrong with companies developing products to help charities who are supporting people thrown under the bus by the Conservative government. But any company, or its owner, which does so and then actively works to keep that government in power, is going to face accusations of profiteering. Because if they cared about ending poverty, they wouldn’t ensure its continuation by championing a party with austerity “baked in” to its future plans.
Featured image via Miriam Cates/YouTube
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In the next few years as people become poorer and donations to foodbanks decrease at a time demand increases, we’re going to see a lot of begging in the street for food or for money to buy food or will we buy someone a bag of chips etc. Especially from hungry children.
well-siad good point!
Yawn!! Is this the best you’ve got? Hope note, as otherwise there will be fifteen more years of Boris!!
please do not piss take the less well off that are in low paid jobs
thanks to Tort Govt U-CREDIT SCAM they must still use food banks
to feed their familys
Do you use a food bank or supply them with food yes or no?
Revelations about a new Tory MP’s second job show how f**ked up Britain now is
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Just this to say on this matter
Let’s see how fast they leave the area now,
Miriam Cates +Dave Cates. Tory M.P.
//
Will they after move home when the C**p hits the fan
With their poor resident start finding out the,
The real’ truth’ about this family run business.
//
And the helping in making Tory mass poverty + food bank use in low paid working family’s to possibly’ put more cash in their banks account ONLY.
///
Also, Tory party bank account as they will probably’ be
Funding the Tory party as well out of the dirty cash charged
To the resident to join their APP webpage.
///
Therefore, resident in -Penistone and Stocksbridge this family have now the power to Stop food bank use + poverty which road will they travel will it be to help you poor residents out yes or no?
//
Or will they take the path to more poverty + foodbanks
As they are raking in the cash to their own bank account,
Plus, that of Tory party they fund possibly???
Let see what unfold when they start work in parliament.
//
LOOK like Tory party will not be changing it ways after all
Boris has possibly’ lied again already to us voter??
It still looks like Boris is looking after the rich + well off Tory M.P. over helping the poorer resident of out in U. K.
Someone should set up an app which charities can use for free. Also, food bank should boycott this particular App.
Very good point but the rich or well off will
not allow a free App to run Nor will Tory govt members
as they all want a peace of the cash payments.
There should be a list of articles now about how educated pro-Europe activists lost Labour the Leave vote. Instead we get this kind of Tory-bashing that will not get Labour more votes. Really Canary?
I think it time Tory Govt fully delived our leave voter wisher
and if we are not out by Jan 2020 time frame Boris + his new Govt Tory M.P.
will pay the full price if they fail us voters that give him full power in G.E.
///
Also if he fails to deliver NEW funding to all local area including the
poorer aera he and his M.P. promised us free voter for our vote.
///
In addision all the POLICE/DOCTORS/NURES/G.P. new funding he promised us
voters Not forgtting our NEW N.H.S. fully funded again no more cuts Boris.
Really? Why SHOULD there be lots of articles blaming pro-Europe activists for lost Labour Leave votes?
You seem to know so much about this, why don’t YOU post those articles? or are you too frightened you’ll get done for libel? Should there also be a Law to enforce reading those articles, and should it be punishable for not reading or believing those articles?
I propose that it is the fact that so many people fell for an obvious Neo-liberal plot to force us into a relationship and disastrous trade deal with the USA (which we already rejected DEMOCRATICALLY several times BTW, and are still being forced into it!), which is the reason we are now exactly in the mess these fools created. (so where is your fucking anger at that eh?).
It still is a joke that so many Brexiteers and Remainers couldn’t, wouldn’t, and didn’t see what was really going on because they were ALL too concerned with the optics of these issues rather than the facts. So many supposedly intelligent people voting for the destruction of our life-support systems, all because they are too damned lazy to think and research for themselves, and would rather be spoon-fed ‘truth’ by the likes of Boris and The BBC.
So many people have got on their high-horses about their ‘right’ to have their Brexit decision honoured, yet still few of those, if any, are prepared to admit the TRUTH that a referendum is NOT a Legally binding thing like an election is. They jump around all agitated just simply because they want, like a spoiled child, to get what they want, regardless of the damage that does to everyone else, and even themselves.
I have never witnessed so many people acting like spoiled brats, stamping their feet just because they want to hate something, someone, anyone, to feel better and powerful in and about their own situations, and the worst of it is that these people don’t know of ‘democracy’ in their own lives, or understand it outside of their own lives, let alone even know what Democracy is, or what is needed to maintain it.
All I see is a huge swathe of people worshipping at the alter of something they not only do NOT understand, but are completely unaware is stripping them of all their humanity, and their freedoms.
These same people will, do, and have, fought tooth and nail to keep Damocles’s Sword dangling on a single thread above theirs and our heads (after removing all the extra threads I might add).
They get so indignant, and even more irrational if you try and save your own or other people’s lives, so much so that they then accuse the healers and helpers of the World of being the destroyers, instead of recognising their own hands in all our destruction. They are literally like drowning people who will try to thwart any attempt of others to remain alive, and will drag down anyone, and anything within reach of them.
Democracy isn’t there so that we can vote ourselves into oblivion, it is there to prevent that. The fact that it is sending us into oblivion (controlled as it is by the truly sick of mind) and so few see it, is a sign that it is NOT what it appears to be, and frankly if you do not have the intuition or discernment to see it for yourselves, you should not vote or have a say in anything outside the circle of your own understanding.
One thing is certain, few people are deserving of Democracy.
a) because they haven’t even bothered to find out what it is, and
b) because their own autocratic beliefs are not compatible with Democracy, and
c) because they try to pass off Autocracy and Oligarchy as Democracy, and
d) because they believe Democracy only belongs to themselves, to do with as they see fit.
Many people actually prefer Dictatorships, even though they would vehemently claim otherwise. The facts of life speak for themselves, many people are just simply not suited to Democracy, or even worthy of having it.
“One thing is certain, few people are deserving of Democracy.”
That is disgustingly arrogant.
But have it your way. If you think that will win over Labour Leave voters. I beg to differ.
you need help lol
Typical Tory, see a miserable situation and makes money out of it.
I wonder if she will call for the end of austerity that ha created the Food banks?, of course not, it will mean they will lose money, the longer Food banks last the more money they will make.
CORRECT—wiseoldowl1867
The Tory SCAM U-CREDIT was made up to make
App people richer by all Tory members,
(including Boris)
///
So now thanks to Tory U-CREDIT SCAM
We have need for food banks + mass poverty now
we have people on benefits dying because of Tory D.W.P. Minister keeping their cash payment (withholding them)
we have poverty + more people
on the streets related to U-CREDIT mess.
//
Important Ture -FACT the U-credit SCAM is costing us taxpayer more cash now every day in lost court fees
To claimant D.W.P. Minister that withheld their cash payment illegally according to our judgers + courts of law — than Labour spent on all benefits while in Offers for years this is a proven fact Boris + Tory party members now.
//
Now this C**p of robbing the people to use a APP
To keep rich Tory party member + M.P. richer by screwing the public out of money to aid them get food to feed their family’s right Boris.
What are you going to do about this C**p SIR?
I also hope the new + old M.P. declarer this new income To the H.O. Commons treasury Dept.
She can put her money where her mouth is and donate the profits from this little scam to the food banks.
The story reveals what is wrong with the “business ethic”. It isn’t an ethic. It’s an absence of ethics. Making money out of poverty is about as low as you can get, but it is exactly what business will do if not restrained. The NHS is a restraint. Its purpose is to ensure vulnerability isn’t exploited. If Johnson loves it so much, if it is, as he said during the campaign, “a beautiful idea” why doesn’t he assist its spread much further? There are plenty of opportunities to extend the arena in which money doesn’t matter. Nye Bevan toyed with the idea of a National Housing Service. Now, there’s a beautiful idea, eh Johnson?