As food bank use soars, the consequences of Tory rule have never been more obvious
Last week, I visited a food bank at a mosque in Willesden, in my Brent constituency. Here, I could see for myself the valuable help they were offering to the local community.
They have a community kitchen, where people can drop by and pick up hot food. But it also serves as a hub where people can have a chat, get vaccinated, gain some qualifications, or take language courses. I was so impressed by their dedication to helping those in need.
It was great to see – but it was also concerning to me not only how many people were relying on the service, but how many working people too.
It shouldn’t be happening, and this Tory government needs to do so much more.
I even saw a nurse in her scrubs collecting food.
And it’s the same story all over the country, as demand for food banks increases at a horrifying rate.
Almost 1.3 million emergency parcels were given out by Trussell Trust food banks between April and September last year.
This is a third more than last year, and more than 50% higher than from the same period in the pre-pandemic year of 2019/20.
And in my borough of Brent, the number of parcels given out has almost doubled in that same time. This is deeply concerning.
For this government, we are well past seeing the warning signs.
Just a few months ago online data showed that people searching for ‘food banks near me’ increased by 250%.
More and more of our fellow citizens cannot afford to feed themselves and their families, and with some food prices rising by up to 60% and warnings of further increases amid a shortage of certain fruit and veg, it is likely to get even harder.
When you look at how energy bills have also skyrocketed over a cold winter, it cannot be a surprise that people are forced into the desperate choice between heating and eating.
I have no faith in the Conservatives to help people
This is the Tories’ record after over a decade in power. But I don’t believe their failure is because the problem is too complex, it is a simple absence of care and compassion.
People are tired of inaction and, in London, Mayor Sadiq Khan has been forced to step in.
This week he announced a £130m emergency scheme to extend free school meals to every primary school pupil in the capital for a year. It will help around 270,000 children and save families £440 per child.
I was pleased to see the Mayor take this kind of action – but I still urge the government to provide funding for universal free school meals across the whole country.
In the absence of that support, food banks across the country, like the one I visited, are doing a phenomenal job to help the most vulnerable.
They take the holistic approach that we are so badly lacking at central government level.
It is shocking that food banks are reporting more working people using their services. The Trussell Trust found that 1 in 5 people referred to their network during mid-2022 were in working households.
It is a scandalous reflection on Rishi Sunak if hardworking families need to rely on this kind of support to put food on the table.
It shows that people’s wages, during the cost-of-living crisis and amid record levels of inflation, are simply not enough to live on.
And for those out of work, the welfare system should be strong enough to support the most vulnerable and prevent food poverty.
Sadly, I have no faith in the Conservatives to help people, especially when you consider the statements by members of their party.
One Tory MP claimed anyone using a food bank while earning £30,000 a year was not managing money properly, and that people only use them because they ‘can’t cook a meal from scratch.’
Another suggested that nurses on £35,000 a year should be budgeting better if they are using food banks.
When you combine their rhetoric with their record – which is that 61,468 food parcels were handed out in 2010/11 compared to a massive 2.54 million in 2020/21 – it shows us the consequence of Tory rule.
They have no empathy and no understanding of the hardship they have caused.
It cannot be right that people are going hungry in this country while we have so much food waste, especially when so much fresh food waste often ends up in landfill.
A holistic approach, which also considers environmental impact, would ensure that waste is prevented and excess food redirected to people who need it.
Nothing of value should go to waste while people are going without.
I believe the route to creating that approach is socialism.
Not only would a socialist system ensure that the needs of people, society and the environment are met, but it would address the problem of poverty at the root cause – by tackling inflation, rising bills and stagnating wages.
I’ve seen first hand that food banks are a lifeline for so many, but in a fair and just society they should not have to exist at all.
That socialist future is what will ensure they are no longer needed, and that is what we must work towards.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
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