Katie Hopkins has burst back into the public consciousness by taking a swipe at people who rely on food banks.
Following a self-imposed twitter silence after her previous column saw 283,000 people sign an online petition urging The Sun to sack her, the 40-year-old has come back swinging.
In a screed entitled ‘The choice is… takers or makers', Hopkins gives a literal two fingers to food banks, singling out the Trussell Trust.
She's back: Katie Hopkins
The charity, which is the country’s largest provider of food banks, revealed this week that 1,084,604 people received food in the last financial year, an increase of 19% over 2013/14.
But Hopkins writes: “In truth, they are not helping huge numbers of needy people. They are giving free food to dependents who have honed their blagging skills from years on the take.”
Citing Trussell Trust rules which claim no customer should be able to receive more than nine food parcels a year, Hopkins claims: “The idle become voucher tourists, moving around to score free nappies and deodorants they can flog for fags and booze.”
The Trussell Trust's figures put the number of people using food banks at more than one million
The charity's UK food bank director Adrian Curtis told Huffington Post UK: "We work with 25,000 organisations who refer people for short term emergency food because they are having to choose between paying a bill and putting food on the table.
"The Trussell Trust is proud to work with thousands of churches and community groups resourced by 30,000 volunteers who freely give their time to provide non-judgmental, compassionate support to those in most need."
Hopkins generously concedes: “While there will be many deserving of help, some will have Sky, a mobile phone and even loan contracts they are committed to on a monthly basis.
“But the thought of budgeting for food or using contraception never crossed their mind.
“When your business model is giving stuff away for free, don’t be surprised if there is a queue out the door.”
The Trussell Trust distributes food bank vouchers for personal circumstances ranging from low income to benefit delays, homelessness, violence and sickness.
The reasons people were referred to Trussell Trust food banks
But Hopkins mantains: “Food bankers are the new fat cats, licking off the cream until they are full enough to be sick today - but hungry again tomorrow.
"Frankly, a good few food bankers look like they could do with losing a pound or two. I’d suggest gym vouchers instead.”
Charging the charity with “politicising poverty”, Hopkins [who has vowed to leave the country if Ed Miliband becomes Britain’s next Prime Minister] accuses it of being pro-Labour in an attempt to discredit the Conservatives.
Curtis responds: "The Trussell Trust is about people rather than party politics. To understand why food banks are needed we would rather give people in crisis the opportunity to speak for themselves. The following is one person's story from the record number of people referred to food banks last year."
As a final rallying cry, Hopkins concludes: “If you have no idea who to vote for on May 7, this could simplify your decision.
"Do you want a party which promotes food banks and a life on the take or a party that promotes small businesses and people who make the most of their opportunities?”
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