Unfarepak
The trade minister, Ian McCartney, has apparently called on MPs to donate a day’s pay to help those who have lost out because of the collapse of Farepak.
I have a huge amount of sympathy for those that have lost out. I heard a lady today saying that her son was serving in Iraq and still didn’t know that they had lost their money. So I applaud what is being done to help. But I won’t be making a donation. Here’s why.
First, and most obviously, why single out Farepak? Where do you draw the line? As an extremely articulate caller said on Five Live this morning, every Christmas is a Farepak Christmas if you have lost your pension. But the Government won’t bale those people out.
Secondly, McCartney’s call is typically Blairite, implying that one is somehow heartless if you don’t give to Farepak. I thought long and hard about what I should do for charity, precisely because I realised there would be many calls on me to support local and national organisations and charities. I have come up with the following modus operandi which I think is completely fair.
- I donate annually (significantly more than a day’s salary) to the Oxfordshire Community Foundation, a local charity that supports chairites and organisations large and small in my constituency
- I raise money for them, and also donate any earnings I receive from filling out questionnaires, taking part in surveys etc. to them
- I offer any organisation raising money in my constituency a lunch, tea or drink in the House of Commons as an auction or raffle prize.
So I don’t feel guilty in refusing Mr McCartney’s call.
Geraint said on November 11th, 2006 at 10:56 pm:
Nice to see the Tories are still as uncaring as ever, that “Compassionate Conservativism” is still just as much of an oxymoron now as it was before. The victims of Farepak have lost everything right before Christmas, lost all their savings and have lost their Christmas. They weere being sensible and spreading out the cost, so they could be able to afford a decent Christmas, but now that has be taken away from them.
The spirit of Scrooge lives on, it seems, and it is alive and well in the Tory Party.
Tim Almond said on November 12th, 2006 at 2:02 pm:
Quite right too.
I’ve got friends who live in Oxford who aren’t going to get their last month’s wages because the company collapsed. Are Ian McCartney and Anne Snelgrove going to be calling for MPs to put their hands in their pockets for them?
Welshcakes Limoncello said on November 12th, 2006 at 6:41 pm:
I agree with your decision. I am sorry for those who have lost out over Farepak but there are others who need help, too, and, as you say, where do you draw the line? Also a call such as this fails to take into account that MPs, like the rest of us, may have “pet” charities which are close to their hearts and, with the best will in the world, no one can donate to everything. I dislike any element of compulsion in helping worthy causes. There should be a choice in the matter.
John Snedlow said on November 14th, 2006 at 4:35 pm:
I think it is a poor show to quite partisanly attack Ian McCartney for his defence of those who lost out with Farepak’s collapse.
Why are the Tories not saying anything about this charity’s collapse, why won’t they criticise the bankers who made a profit from Farepak’s demise whilst ordinary families have had their Christmas ruined? If Cameron is so “down with the people” why doesn’t he criticise HBOS?
Alvin Chuddocks said on November 14th, 2006 at 5:44 pm:
I heatily agree. Many people need help so it’s best we keep out of it and not help interfere with any of them.
Danvers said on November 15th, 2006 at 11:24 am:
Surely the key question in all this is why did anyone think that giving money to a hamper company is a “sensible” way of saving money? These “Christmas clubs” are apparently all unregulated, which is a scandal given that they take cash deposits from individuals. If it were the other way around - and they delivered the hampers up front on credit and then were paid off over the year, the FSA would be all over them. Given the amount of regulation this government has imposed on business, how on earth did they let this one slip through the net? Was it because they did not want to interfere (i.e. add cost to) something which is popular amongst Labour voters? Or am I being deeply cynical?
Paul Moloney said on November 15th, 2006 at 11:38 am:
Quite right. The oiks should be beaten roughly for even having ideas above their station. Hampers? What next? They’ll be wanting to squeeze their proley thighs in jophurs and axphixiate while sucking on a popper-soaked satsuma kneeling on the kitchen table in lacey suspenders like any normal Tory MP.
P.
mrs elson said on November 24th, 2006 at 9:49 pm:
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I HAVE READ ALL OF THE E-MAILS POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE AND CAN I SAY I AM DISGUSTED. I AM A FAREPAK CUSTOMER AND FRANKLY LOSING £3200.00 ISNT A JOKE. ALL OF THE E-MAILS ARE FROM MEN WHO FRANKLY DO NOT LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD AND I EXPECT THEY ASK THEIR SECRETARY TO GO OUT AND BUY THE LITTLE WOMAN SOMETHING FOR CHRISTMAS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT I AM NOT STUPID FOR TRYING TO BUY MY 3 CHILDREN PRESENTS FOR CHRISTMAS AND TRYING NOT TO GO INTO DEBT. IF YOU CAN STAND IN FRONT OF MY CHILDREN AND SEE THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES WHEN I HAD TO TELL THEM THAT CHRISTMAS FOR THEM THIS YEAR HAS HAD TO BE CANCELLED THEN ALL THAT I CAN SAY IS THEY HAVE NO HEART.
Claire Simpson said on November 25th, 2006 at 10:59 pm:
unfarepak christmas
Carla Knight said on December 12th, 2006 at 10:31 pm:
I sympathise with everyone that has lost money and hampers with farepak. I have also lost £400. I joined the farepak hamper scheme this year after being unwell and unable to work. At one point i had an arrears of £50 and managed to catch up. I don’t consider anyone STUPID who has saved with the scheme, as lets face itt we could be like alot of these so called men (or mice!) and put it all on our credit cards. Alot of people in the scheme are low income families trying to give their children a good family without getting themselves into debt. Somewhere in the very very small print apparently it is claimed that it states that the company is not regulated. I am saddened and angered to see the replies on this website, and wonder where the love and compassion in the world is. I agree there are alot of deserving charities in the world, however it is supposed to be christmas! Although for alot of farepak victims- this year the joy of christmas seems to of vanished. I would like to invite Mr unfarepak to my home christmas day-that is if he evr finishes frying himself in sunny Portugal!