Andrew Cooper is standing for the party in Tamworth.

With two by-elections set to take place this Thursday following the resignation of two Tory MPs, this week is a crucial test for Rishi Sunak ahead of the next general election.
Yet one of the Tory by-election candidates, Andrew Cooper, who is standing for the party in Tamworth is revealed to have posted a chart telling parents who can’t feed kids to ‘f*** off’, causing yet another headache for the Tories.
The story, first reported in the Mirror, reveals that in 2020 Cooper posted on Facebook a diagram drawn in pen on a piece of paper asking the question: “Can you feed your kids?” It said that those who have subscriptions for TV services such as Sky, as well as mobile phone contracts or get their nails done should “f*** off”. The diagram suggested that parents who do none of these but do not work should also “f*** off”.
According to figures from the End Child Poverty Coalition, almost a third (32.2%) of children in Tamworth were in poverty in 2021/22. That’s 6,548 children. His comments come at a time when millions across the country are struggling to make ends meet as a result of the cost of living crisis, with record-breaking numbers of children now living in poverty across the country.
It shows once more how nasty the Tory party is with no care for those struggling in poverty.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
Left Foot Forward doesn't have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.