Sheffield food poverty campaigners target city MPs

Sheffield People’s Assembly have been holding a series of days of action on the issue of food poverty. The group have run stalls on The Moor and in different city constituencies to talk to people and collect signatures for letters to their MPs.

The group have also met MPs Olivia Blake, Paul Blomfield and Gill Furniss to hand over the letters and to discuss their four demands:

• Immediate supermarket price reduction
• Government price controls on food
• A rise in wages, benefits and pensions
• Free school meals for all children.

Hallam MP Olivia Blake responded: “The existence of food poverty in this country is a scandal. There are children going to bed hungry because their families cannot afford to buy food and the cost-of-living crisis is pushing millions into food poverty.

“The appalling rise in prices for staple goods is hitting people hard and one of the knock-on effects is that one in four households with children experiences food insecurity. It is simply not good enough that the government appears to have abdicated responsibility and has no real plan to tackle the problems facing our food system.”

She added: “I support making, buying and selling more in Britain and delivering food security harmoniously with the environment. I want to see public procurement contracts to drive the purchase of locally-sourced food and breakfast clubs to help tackle school food poverty.

“I want to see access to food enshrined as a legal right in the UK and to take responsibility for ensuring its citizens do not go hungry.”

Brightside and Hillsborough MP Gill Furniss said: “The cost-of-living crisis is having a huge impact on the ability of families to put food on the table and it is sad to see some companies choosing to raise their profits at this time.

“As Labour isn’t in government, I’m not able to commit to implementing your demands today. However, I can assure you that the next Labour government will work to tackle poverty and put an end to the soaring use of food banks.

“A Labour government will also work with campaigners and community groups to ensure food security for all. We will also work to ensure families can have stable household finances and able to buy the food and supplies they need.

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“I will keep fighting to end child poverty and I know that we need a Labour government elected to achieve this.”

Carrie Hedderwick, from Sheffield People’s Assembly, said: “We must know what the Labour Party intends to do if they are in government. And we intend to hold MPs to any commitments that they make.

“There cannot be any U-turns on such basic social policies regarding living standards such as food, also of course regarding policies on housing, employment, education, health, the environment.”

Members of the campaign joined a national march on Sunday called by the People’s Assembly, one of a series of actions currently taking place in Manchester during the week of the Conservative Party conference. Sheffield People’s Assembly and Sheffield Trades Council jointly organised local coaches to Sunday’s protest.