A Reform council leader has threatened to report a café owner who served up free meals to children to police. Barry Ashley, who runs the Grumpy Cook in Hastings, made the gesture after East Sussex County Council removed school holiday meal vouchers to families over summer in what he blasted a “shameful” move.
He has since been told by Andy Woolley, who heads the authority, that he will be reported to police along with Labour MP Helena Dollimore, after claiming the pair incited hatred and potential violence by naming him online.
The council’s decision to halt the vouchers prompted Ashley to offer free meals to kids who relied on them at his not-for-profit café. Several local businesses chipped in to help, resulting in the café providing 70 free meals a day.
Ms Dollimore has started a petition demanding the vouchers return and slammed the council’s “unacceptable” actions which she believes are putting vulnerable youngsters at risk, reports the Mirror.
Mr Ashley said: “Hastings is one of the poorest towns in the country. And it is by every measure a deprived town. One in three of the children are living in poverty.
View 3 ImagesEast Sussex County Council leader Andy Woolley(Image: Reform UK/BBC Sussex News)
“To take away the vouchers without considering what they should be putting in place, without doing any risk assessment, without doing any impact assessment, it’s beyond bizarre.”
Ashley said he offered a £2 menu for kids, but when he found out the vouchers were not being rolled out, he would provide free meals to any child who needed it.
“They don’t have to produce any evidence that they’re in poverty or they’re on Universal Credit because I don’t like the stigma that goes with that,” he said. “It’s so important that these children get fed.
“There was a mum that came in yesterday, she brought her three children in, and she said ‘I’ve come to see if I can get some lunch for them.’ I asked if she’d like anything and she said ‘No, no, no, I’m fine’.
“I’ve had this before when I’ve asked. You can see the kids are sitting around a meal and the mum’s sitting there with nothing. I remember one mum, I think a year or so ago, and I offered her some free food, and she started crying.
“That really upsets me that people are sitting there going hungry to make sure their children are being fed.”
The café owner has posted a series of messages on Facebook criticising the council. One said: “East Sussex County Council have obviously used their discretion and decided the kids can starve. They are shameless.
“Hastings is the 14th poorest town in the country and one in three children are living in poverty. If you cannot serve the most vulnerable in our area then of what use are you? Councillor Woolley your move.”
In another he wrote: “Finally Councillor Woolley, should you go for re-election into office again I hope voters wrap your sandwiches and those of your party in a road map.”
Ashley was dumbfounded to receive a WhatsApp message and an email from the council leader saying he would report him and Ms Dollimore to police. Mr Ashley said: “So the free speech advocates don’t like free speech.”
Woolley said in an email to Ms Dollimore that it was a joint decision by the Reform cabinet to stop issuing vouchers. He claimed naming him in online posts could be responsible for inciting hate and potential violence against him.
Mr Woolley wrote: “Your continued naming of me personally has led to an increase in online abuse of me personally and has now reached a point where you could be responsible for inciting hate and potential violence against me, a political official, and members of my family.
“You of all people should be aware of the increased sensitivity of these sorts of posts since the sad murder of Ann Widdecombe. As such I shall be reporting you both to the police and to the Parliamentary standards committee.”
The Labour MP responded: “You are correct to say that I have criticised the decision. I know that many other people locally are concerned, including food banks and voluntary organisations.
View 3 ImagesLabour MP Helena Dollimore (left) was also told the Reform council leader would report her to police(Image: Helena Dollimore)
“Politicians and members of the public should be free to comment on and criticise decisions made by their opponents. I know that Reform UK includes ‘defence of free speech’ as amongst its policies.”
The council says it has not been given enough by the government to continue offering the vouchers for families of children entitled to free school meals. Ms Dollimore and Mr Ashley dispute this, and said it was a political choice.
In a statement Mr Woolley said: “I believe there is a point where legitimate political debate crosses the line into conduct that places individuals at risk. Decisions are made collectively.
“What should not happen is for one individual to be repeatedly singled out, particularly where that is accompanied by claims that we believe are inaccurate and which have the effect of inflaming public opinion against that individual.”
He said he had previously written to Ms Dollimore disputing comments she had made about the council. He said he took exception to being singled out, stating: “Instead, the campaign has continued with me being repeatedly named personally over what was a collective Cabinet decision.
“Since then, I have been subjected to abusive messages, emails, threats and graphic online content targeting me personally. I am not suggesting that Helena Dollimore created those threats or abusive material.
“However, when public figures repeatedly personalise a collective decision and present it in a way that fuels hostility towards an individual, they should recognise the foreseeable consequences of doing so.
“Whether any individual communication crosses the criminal threshold is a matter for the Police. Political disagreement is entirely legitimate.
“Targeting individuals in a way that contributes to intimidation, threats and abuse is not. Everyone in public life, regardless of political party, should be able to carry out their duties without fearing for their own safety or the safety of their family.”
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The local authority says it is providing targeted support using £7.3million from the government’s Crisis Resilience Fund. This was rolled out to replace the government’s Household Support Fund, which has previously been used to fund vouchers.
Woolley said the council’s Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme has been expanded, while families experiencing hardship can access support through the Crisis and Resilience Fund. He has not yet contacted police.