Wot, no Tories?

Dozens of Labour MPs came out to support Unite’s foodbank Christmas appeal in conjunction with the Mirror’s Real Britain and the Trussell Trust on Wednesday (December 7) just outside Parliament.

Among these were Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, shadow chancellor John McDonnell, shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams and many more.

Noticeably absent were any Tory MPs – as Prime Minister’s Questions ended on Wednesday, they merely shuffled past the ‘pop-up’ foodbank set up by Unite and the Trussell Trust.

Evasion

The Tories latest evasion is typical of their approach to foodbanks. Instead of seeking to understand why they have proliferated at an alarming rate, instead of supporting them as they do their bit to tackle hunger — which in itself is an outcome of Tory austerity policy — the Conservatives simply pretend foodbanks and growing hunger do not exist.

In 2014, the Department of Work and Pensions, then under the leadership of Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith, claimed that the dramatic rise in foodbank provision came down to networks such as the Trussell Trust ‘aggressively marketing their services’.

That same year, Tory peer Baroness Anne Jenkin claimed that those in need use foodbanks because “poor people don’t know how to cook”.

Last year, then-prime minister David Cameron was urged by a commons environmental and rural select committee to commission “further research into why more people are using foodbanks to provide an evidence base to inform and enhance policy responses.”

Cameron at the time refused with absurd excuses, noting that it would be too much of a burden for foodbanks to collect data on foodbank provision.

But even as the Tories continue in their wilful ignorance of the phenomenon of hunger continuing to grow apace in the sixth richest nation in the world, the facts speak for themselves – the need for foodbanks is now greater than ever.

Foodbank figures

Last month, the largest foodbank network, the Trussell Trust, released its biannual figures, which revealed that the number of emergency food supplies they’ve handed out has increased exponentially year-on-year.

Between April and September 2016, the Trust gave out more than half a million three-day emergency food parcels, up from 355,982 parcels over the same time period three years ago.

By April of next year, the foodbank network of just over 400 foodbanks dotted across the UK expects to give out a total of 1.1m three-day emergency food supplies.

December is often the month of greatest need – last year, the Trussell Trust provided 133,734 three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis in December; 56,779 of these went to children.

The previous Tory-led government and its successor continue to hew to the line that there is no connection between the growth in foodbanks and government policy.

When asked point-blank last year at a work and pensions select committee last year whether there was any correlation between austerity and the nearly 400 per cent rise in foodbank use in Scotland, Iain Duncan Smith refused to admit the link.

This belief continues, with a DWP spokesperson saying of the latest Trussell Trust figures, “Reasons for food bank use are complex, so it’s misleading to link them to any one issue.”

But the Trussell Trust deals with thousands of people who’ve turned to them in desperation – and despite the government refusing to collect data on foodbank use, the Trust has.

What their research has shown is that by far the number one reason that users give for going to foodbanks is that their benefits have been delayed or sanctioned, accounting for 44 per cent of all referrals.

Political choice

Shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams (pictured) said that the need for foodbanks is symbolic of the Tory government’s cruel policies.

“The Trussell Trust report showing that the UK is on course for a record number of people needing to use emergency food parcels is a damning indictment of the Tory Government’s failure,” she said. “Even more staggering in the run up to Christmas is almost 200,000 children will be relying on a food parcel to get a decent meal.

“It is clear that delays in benefits payments and changes to eligibility are a major cause behind this increase.

“While the Tories continue to look the other way, refusing to accept the evidence, I’ve announced that Labour would scrap their punitive sanctions regime,” she pledged.

“Labour will transform our social security system, ensuring that it is there for everyone in their time of need.”

Unite political director Anneliese Midgley slammed this and the previous Tory-led government for refusing to accept the stark realities of growing hunger in the UK.

“It is nothing short of shameful that not one Tory MP even bothered to drop by our ‘pop-up’ foodbank outside Parliament this week,” she said. “But I will say it isn’t surprising – the Tories have been burying their heads in the sand over growing foodbank use for years.

“It is obvious that they are unwilling to admit that it is their policies that are driving hunger in this country,” she added. “As the Trussell Trust’s research has shown, it is this government’s shambolic sanctions regime that is the number one reason that people are turning to foodbanks in growing numbers.

“In the sixth richest nation in the world, we have the resources to ensure that no man, woman or child goes hungry. Let’s not be fooled; austerity-driven poverty in the UK is a political choice — it’s time to make different choices.”

Unite urges everyone to get involved in the union’s Christmas appeal – find out how you can help here.