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The Portsmouth school opening on Christmas Day to feed pupils and parents who would otherwise go hungry symbolises the very best and worst of Britain.

“Best” are the volunteers and donors at Park Community School in Havant – great people giving their time and money to provide a Christmas to families enduring hard times.

“Worst” is the fact that in one of the world’s wealthiest countries a Tory government has created hunger and destitution by ripping holes in the welfare state and punishing people who deserve compassion and help.

The Tory governments under Theresa May and David Cameron before her will never be forgiven for sinking our country so low.

We applaud generous Daily Mirror readers for donating more than £35,000 to our Trussell Trust Foodbank appeal to stop hunger.

But we badly need a government on our side, as this school in Portsmouth proves the Conservatives are the problem, not the answer.

Flying shame

What is going on? The police now say it is a possibility that there never was a drone at Gatwick.

It is beyond belief that so many people’s travel plans were ruined for seemingly no reason. And the release of an innocent couple fuels the impression that nobody knows what they’re doing.

The chaos at Gatwick raises disturbing questions about who is in charge as the rest of the world sees that Britain is not always open.

Somebody needs to get a grip. But with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling incompetent and PM Theresa May panicking over Brexit, we are lumbered with a government that isn’t up to the job.

Happy holiday

Merry Christmas to you and your family. We hope you enjoy the holiday period.