Now that the General Election has been called local food banks have had the nod from the top that they have to steer away from being party political. Paid admin staff can quiz politicians but actually being involved in any form of campaigning is a no-no. For us volunteers, there are no rules at all. From my point of view, this does not mean I should be spending my afternoons helping people to avoid starving to death while also encouraging them to vote for, let’s say for the sake of argument, the Conservative party. Even as an amateur, you have to give an impression of professionalism and anyway, quite frankly, politics is the last thing on the mind of anyone who needs to see us.
I make no effort to hide my politics wherever I am. Have you noticed? I’m one of those people the Daily Mail hates with a passion. Someone who believes in the NHS, good state schools, efficient public services, the eradication of food poverty; you know, extreme left wing views, if you can call the likes of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Keir Starmer hard left politicians, which of course you can’t. Everyone who works in food banks, including ours in Melchester, knows why we are here.
In 2010, there were around 35 food banks operated by the Trussell Trust. In 2024, Trussell operates just under 1400 food banks in the UK and at the last count there were at least 1172 independent food banks. In 2010, a new Conservative government, in which some Liberal Democrats took jobs, took office. After 14 years, in a country where now everything is broken and nothing works, the Conservatives have not just crashed the economy, as Liz Truss did in 2022, they’ve crashed the country, too.
While we talked about the election before we opened today, none of our callers did. The election is, to all intents and purpose, taking place in a parallel universe and although it is crystal clear that they are direct victims of the Conservatives, you just know that beyond putting food on the table is all some people are interested in. I am not beyond some gentle cajoling to get people to vote for the only party that could possibly turn the corner on food poverty and turn us back into a civilised country, but this is not what they want to hear. Asking people what they would like, making them a nice cuppa and generally treating people with the respect the rest of society appears to deny them is the limit of my efforts. I honestly can’t see the point of bringing raw politics into the food bank.
There are numerous reasons why people use food banks but the main one, purely and simply, is that some people don’t have enough money to live on. For some people, it is the inadequate and harsh benefit system, for others it is insecure, low paid work and horrible employers. And there is no one type of person who comes along. I’m seeing increased numbers of senior citizens, who come from the group of people most likely to vote Conservative. I’ve seen ex service personnel who have bravely served our country. The whole world and his wife/her husband comes in these days. Everyone, it seems, is a heart attack, shock redundancy, family bereavement, stroke, cancer diagnosis from using a food bank.
If there had been food banks when I was a kid, I reckon my mum would have used them. I used to be too embarrassed, not a bit ashamed and very guilty to admit that my mum had gone without food so I didn’t have to. The embarrassment and shame has long gone, but not the guilt when I know I would have asked for and got ‘seconds’ when my mum didn’t even have firsts. That’s how I know what people can feel like today. Everyone wants to be self-reliant and not dependent on the kindness of others. Why does it have to be like that at all?
The reason is the choice we make choices and in particular the choice of who we elect to run the country. Since 2010, we have repeatedly elected governments who have sought to divide, make the country less equal and abandon certain groups, like those in food poverty, altogether.
I’ve seen poverty from both sides now and, if the experience of others is anything like mine, it never leaves you. And my past is what powers my passion to fight food poverty and kick the Tories out. We probably can go on like this, but morally we shouldn’t. Vote Labour or vote tactically to get rid of the architects of food poverty.
