Buy, But Don't Accept

I've thought of a new initiative to help out those businesses and employees needing support during Tier 3. Instead of Eat Out to Help Out, it's Buy, But Don't Accept.

Basically, you order something, and it can even be a meal, but ask for it not to be delivered or, in the case of a meal, not to be cooked. It's 100% altruistic and can be done by anyone with a bit of cash to spare and a desire to help out.

A bit difficult with automated, on-line ordering systems, but if you can send a message immediately after a purchase, you should be able to get the delivery cancelled, but with the retailer keeping your money.

Of course, sellers need to be honest and pass on the benefits to their staff and one way of ensuring this is to demand a till receipt. The beauty of the system is that profits would he much higher than if you simply took delivery of what you purchased, as there would be no associated supply puchases, meaning fewer people would have a large effect. Additionally, in the case of a meal, you don't have to even physically turn up and risk Covid - it could all be done over the phone.

There is one drawback - the supply chain of the provider of the product or service would not benefit but, given the increased profit of the supplier, some of this could be passed down the supply chain. That, again, would rely on the integrity of the product or service supplier and an element of trust would be needed. There again, a provider doesn't want his supply chain to disappear.

I would not recommend this for buying a car or a house....

As regards the free school meals for deprived kids during school holidays, it appears to me, from what Tory MPs have said, that the Conservative argument is threefold:

1. Many of the schemes under way are providing take-aways, which are not nutritious, 
2. A longer term strategy is needed, which focuses on Universal Credit, and
3. It is the responsibility of local authorities. 

I find these arguments rather specious. How no meal is more nutritious than a meal with low nutrition is beyond me. Also, we all know the problems with Universal Credit, and a longer term strategy, while welcome, does not solve the issue over the school holidays this year, especially for parents who have lost their jobs recently. As for it being the responsibility of local authorities, authorities in Tier 3 areas have been complaining, quite vocally and publicly, that the budgets allocated to them for Covid relief are woefully inadequate. Families that were scraping a living before Covid are now very hard hit, even with furlough - rent and utility bills haven't gone away.

There's still no support at all, that I know of, for people who were made redundant during or after the national lockdown and have since gone self-employed. 

I've written to my local, Tory MP, asking for his reasons for voting against the free school meals resolution. I'm not expecting a response any time soon. Whenever I have received a response from him to previous questions, they bear all the hallmarks of Conservative Central Office crafting and the Party line. I can't see him being returned to Parliament at the next election. 

I've heard Conservative apologists on social media say the country can't afford it. The facts is that the country can afford anything it wants to afford. The country paid slave owners compensation for the emancipation of their slaves, the debt for which we only finished paying in 2015. We only finished paying for WWII in 2006. How long will we be paying for Brexit - we'll start seeing a return in 50 years, according to Rees-Mogg.