GMB’s Piers Morgan fumes over inclusion of bottled water in food parcels ‘Turn the tap on’

GMB: Piers Morgan hits out at ‘shocking’ school meals hamper

Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid welcomed the Mirror’s Kevin Maguire, the Daily Mail’s Andrew Pierce, food writer and poverty activist Jack Monroe and former Brexit Secretary David Davis onto Good Morning Britain to  discuss the controversy surrounding the switch from free school meal vouchers to food packages after many frustrated parents shared their images of inadequate hampers on social media. Morgan expressed his annoyance over one item included in the parcels in particular. 

Morgan began: “I have got to say, I found this food parcel story really shocking. It has shone a light on a world I was not – actually, shamefully, I was not familiar enough with.

“Which is exactly what is supposedly in these food parcels.”

“We have actually got some examples here,” Reid remarked. 

“The bottom line is that people are supposed to be getting £30 worth of food for their families,” Morgan continued. 

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GMB: Piers Morgan slammed the inclusion of bottled water in the food parcels (Image: ITV)

GMB: Piers didn’t understand why bottles of water were included in the hampers (Image: ITV)

“These are the poorest families in the country and this is what they’re given for two weeks.

“This is what one family got. There is an apple, a couple of potatoes, a bit of cheese, a bit of ham, five bottles of water, bread, and a can of beans.”

“This is £5 worth of food,” Morgan said. “This should have been £15 for a family. 

“Here is my question, why are five bottles of water going into a food parcel where you can just turn the tap on? Am I missing something?”

More to follow…

GMB: Susanna and Piers chatted to Kevin, Andrew, David and Jack (Image: ITV)

Gaining Monroe’s insight into the matter, Reid asked: “Have you got to the bottom of why companies are sending out these meagre portions?”

“I have and I haven’t,” Monroe replied. “I wouldn’t be comfortable saying this on television because they might sue me but it seems to be something to do with profit margins. 

“It’s a £15 basket but only contacts £5 worth of food so you’ve got to ask yourself where that other £10 is going.

“It’s just a disgrace to be honest. I’ve been up all night talking to parents in my direct messages on Twitter.”

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She continued: “Hundreds of them sending me similar pictures saying, ‘I can’t feed my kids with this Jack, what do I do?’

“And I’m like make a noise about it, get something else, go back to your school, ask them to return to the voucher system.”

Reid added: “Chartwells, one of the companies involved, has responded to one of the photographs that was posted [on social media].”

The statement read: “We have had time to investigate the picture circulated on twitter.

“For clarity it shows five days of free school lunches (not ten days) and the charge for food, packing and distribution was actually £10.50 not £30 as suggested. 

“However, in our efforts to provide thousands of food parcels at extremely short notice we are very sorry the quantity has fallen short in this instance.”

“Why families who need this support are having to subsidise packing and distribution I have absolutely no idea,” Reid added. 

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV at 6am.