More food banks in Britain than McDonald’s, claims new Coventry MP - The Coventry Observer

More food banks in Britain than McDonald’s, claims new Coventry MP

Coventry Editorial 29th Jan, 2020   0

THERE are now more food banks in Britain than McDonald’s restaurants, claims new Coventry MP Zarah Sultana.

The need for food banks is a “national scandal”, the newly elected Labour MP for Coventry South told Conservative MP Thérèse Coffey, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions yesterday (Monday January 27) .

During parliamentary questions, Ms Sultana said there are now more food banks in Britain than McDonald’s restaurants and added it was a “gross injustice” that nurses are forced to use food banks while “fat-cat bosses receive obscene rewards”.

She also paid tribute to Coventry Foodbank, one of the largest food banks in the country.




In response, the Secretary of State described food banks as a “perfect way” to meet the challenges of those in poverty. On social media, Ms Sultana responded by calling the Conservatives “totally out of touch”.

In her question, the 26-year-old former West Midlands Labour Party office worker said: “Coventry South is home to one of the largest food banks in the country, which provided more than 20,000 emergency food packages last year.


“I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to them and their volunteers.

“But the need for food banks is a national scandal. There are now more food banks in Britain than McDonald’s restaurants, a company, I note, that recently paid off their fired British boss roughly £30 million.”

“So does the Minister accept that it is a gross injustice that nurses are forced to food banks while fat-cat bosses receive obscene rewards?”

Latest figures reveal that Coventry Foodbank supported 13,239 people between April 2019 and September 2019, up from 9,138 in the same period in 2018.

Garry Lemon, director of policy and research at the Trussell Trust, which runs 1,200 food bank centres across the UK including Coventry, said:

“More people than ever before are being forced to use food banks, having to turn to one of the 1,200 centres in our network, because they’re unable to afford the basics. This just isn’t right.

“Food banks offer absolutely vital support, providing a lifeline for people that have been pulled under by the rising tide of poverty. But no one in the UK should need that help to begin with.

“That’s why we’re calling on the Government to start putting money back into the pockets of people who most need support, by ending the five week wait for Universal Credit, ensuring benefit payments cover the cost of living and investing in local emergency support for people in crisis. Only then can we work towards a future where no one needs to use a food bank.”

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