How not to deal with constituents, by David Morris MP

[T_i_B]

Looks like we have another post-truth contender for "worst MP in Parliament" again.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/dec/15/morecambe-mp-stirs-row-after-doubting-poverty-claims-by-local-schools?CMP=share_btn_tw

A row is brewing between a Conservative MP and some of his Lancashire constituents after he suggested that claims by teachers about extreme poverty at local schools were untrue.

David Morris, the MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, responded to the reports by posting a call for social services to investigate on Facebook. “These claims are not those being experienced by myself or the jobcentre in the area and I would urge anyone affected to book an appointment with the staff at Morecambe jobcentre to assess if they are receiving all of the benefits they are entitled to,” he wrote.

Morris added that the claims “always seem to emanate from the same primary schools and Ash Trees surgery in Carnforth”. He later told ITV: “I’ve not got issues with the report that you’ve run, I’m just questioning the validity of it … [ the schools featured ] have very strong links to Momentum, and to be quite frank, all the indicators from Ofsted say that the child poverty at that school is absolutely no different to any other in the country.”

Amid claims that Morris has blocked people online who have questioned his statement, Morecambe residents are using the hashtag #blockedbydavidmorris and have started a Facebook group to air their grievances.

[shenmue]

1. They should make an award, a tinfoil hat or something