As anger continues to mount over the controversial parliamentary vote, Morecombe and Lunesdale MP David Morris has become the latest to face a local backlash.
He and 321 others rejected a plan that would have seen families given vouchers for food over the school holidays until next Easter.
Now he won’t be able to buy his running gear at the Runners Centre in Kings Arcade, Lancaster.
A sign has been placed in the window stating: ‘David Morris MP is barred from entering this store for voting to starve children…
‘Along with 322 other Conservative MP’s he voted against extending free meals for kids.
‘He has been listed as one of the top ten MP’s claiming expenses with £77,676.00 spent so far.
‘He has also voted to give himself a pay rise of nearly £3400.00. Thatcher starved the miners. Morris starving the minors.’
Several other Conservative politicians have faced criticism in their local constituencies because of the way they voted. Chancellor Rishi Sunak was barred from his local pub because of he didn’t back the plan.
Thousands of local businesses have stepped in to offer free food instead as part of the campaign, fronted by footballer Marcus Rashford.
Lancashire is one of the few areas in the UK currently under the harshest tier three lockdown restrictions, meaning several hospitality businesses have been forced to close.
The owner of the Runners Centre, Ian Bailey, told LancsLive: ‘I think it all stems from the Conservatives statement that we’re all in this together and that can mean this pandemic or it could mean anything.
‘But it’s soon apparent that it’s one rule for them and another rule for us and to force the North of the country into a lockdown so the south of England in particular can stay open is very unfair when it has massive economic repercussions on the poorest of society.
‘For David Morris to vote against allowing the children meal credit to continue is just abhorrent when he himself will sit in Parliament and get subsidised meals within Westminster where he won’t extend that privilege to anybody else. It’s just completely wrong. So from that we banned him from this store.’
Ian confirmed the ban would be in place ‘for life’, adding: ‘I’m desperate for him to come in just so I can ask him to leave.’
Boris Johnson is facing increased pressure to U-turn and back the plan, with a senior Tory saying the Government has ‘misunderstood’ the mood of the country.
Senior Conservative MP Sir Bernard Jenkin told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme earlier: ‘The public want to see the Government taking a national lead on this. I think the Government will probably have to think again on that, particularly if there’s going to be more votes in the House of Commons.’
More than 800,000 people have signed a petition calling for more to be done to feed disadvantaged children during the pandemic.
