Burnley’s Dave Fishwick clashed with a politician in a debate about the country’s finances on ITV show Peston.

Minibus salesman Dave, upon whose life Netflix’s Bank of Dave films are based, engaged in a heated debate with Simon Clarke, former chief secretary to Treasury, about where money should be spent in the country.

Dave also opened up about some of the schools and children he has helped in East Lancashire, including providing a library for a school in Clayton-Le-Moors.

He also spoke about providing a year’s supply of food to a special needs school in Accrington.

The businessman, who has a minibus firm in Colne, said the country needs to “take care” of the most vulnerable people in society before allocating funds elsewhere.

He also said people and corporations need to “pay their fair share”.

 

 

He said: “The wealthiest have the largest shoulders and they do need to take the biggest [financial] burden.

"We also need to be taking a look at [people who work at big corporations] that pay nothing in tax.

“There needs to be a fairer system, and there needs to be a net for people to fall on and bounce back up and contribute to society.

"People need to pay their fair share, but you can’t keep taking more off the [middle and working class].”

Dave said he has received many letters from Lancashire schools, worried about funding.

He praised the Government’s national school breakfast club programme, where schools receive a 75 per cent subsidy for the food and delivery costs of breakfast club provision.

Schools will contribute 25 per cent of the cost. However, he said 100 per cent of the pupils need feeding.

He said a special needs school in Accrington wrote him a letter asking for funding to help them pay for the remaining 25 per cent.

“People are writing to me more and more, and I have received so many letters,” Dave said on Peston.

“A special needs school breakfast club [in Accrington] reached out to me. 

"You can’t say to one child you are getting fed and ignore the others. I asked them what they needed and bought them a year’s supply of food and equipment for the kitchen.

“It’s the second school I am doing this with, and we are feeding hundreds of children every month.

“I love what the Government is doing with the 75 per cent – but we need to get the other 25 per cent and make sure every child is fed.”

Dave said a “fairer” financial system and says the ultrawealthy should “pay their fair share” when it comes to taxes.

When asked to discuss the concept of millionaires leaving due to higher taxes in the UK, Dave said: “We need to look for a fairer system. We don’t want to outtax the people who are [ultrawealthy].

"We want them to pay their fair share. If they don’t want to contribute to society, then they will have to leave.”

Dave clashed with former MP Simon Clarke, who lost his seat in the Tory wipeout at last year's General Election, who said it is “not the state’s job to feed all children”.

Mr Clarke said: “The school budget is over £80 billion a year. It’s critical that we invest in our schools. It is not the state’s job to feed all children.

"We should be making sure the children who need help get help, but the parents should be feeding the children.

"My kids and your kids, Dave, shouldn’t be getting free school meals. We should be funding our children’s food.”

Dave argued that taking care of society’s most vulnerable should be the priority and said we “can’t have a system” where children are going to school hungry, yet “billions of pounds are being given back to the bankers”.

This was after the Government sold its remaining shares in NatWest and confirmed a £10.5 billion loss since the bank was rescued by UK taxpayers during the 2008 financial crisis.

Dave said: “We can’t have a system where there are billions of pounds being given back to the bankers… and you’re telling me we shouldn’t be feeding children.”

Simon said: “The banks pay a huge amount of tax. We can’t say the state can or should do everything.

“Of course, hungry children should get fed. You were talking before about feeding 100 per cent of children. It should be 100 per cent of kids who need it.”

“Should that not be the priority, though?” Dave replied.

“The school specifically wrote to me and said the 25 per cent of kids, that the 75 per cent isn’t paying, need feeding. How can they decide who to feed and who not to feed?

“We can’t have a child coming to school hungry in this day and age.

“We shouldn't be putting [funding for free school meals] into schools like Eton – but there are people in the north of England who are having problems.

"We should be looking after the children, pensioners and anyone who needs it.

"Whatever is left we should use to look after the rest of the world.”

You can watch Peston on ITVX.