Howard said food poverty was 'complex' so did someone else a year earlier - Guess who!

Back in June the Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK said that food poverty was a ‘complex’ issue and fair enough you don’t want the government to throw money at an issue without understanding it. Here’s what he said:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/food-poverty-needs-to-be...

For once I agree with Howard we need to deal with the issue properly and efficiently but we are three months on and you know I suddenly realised I had heard that ‘complex’ argument before then I found this (the quote is about one minute into this video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDgmfiTPZ1Y

Theresa May was confronted on the Andrew Marr show a year ago about NHS staff having to use food banks and she trotted out the complex argument. I understand today it's been revealed that one of the health unions in the UK has had to resort to giving out food stamps to workers in dire straits.

Now hopefully things are nowhere near as dire as this in the Isle of Man but the ‘complex’ argument is not a sound one if you sit on it for a year. Incidentally I’m not a Trade Union activist anymore but I understand most public sector pay talks in the Isle of Man are unresolved. Given that we have just had Chris Thomas MHK crowing about 7.4% rises in GDP its time he rolled his sleeves up and reached a settlement if he needs a hand I’m on the phone.

Meanwhile I hope in six months or a years time we are not still being told by the Manx government the issue is ‘complex’ because it just will not wear! I don’t want this country to emulate May’s UK!

Bernard Moffatt