Wera must urge council action

As a long-term campaigner against food poverty, I was pleased to see my MP, Wera Hobhouse, vote in favour of extending free school meals into the holidays (‘Bath MP Wera Hobhouse slams “all in this together” rhetoric.’, October 27 , 2020).

It appears, though, that her belief that it is the state’s responsibility to feed hungry children does not extend to her own constituency.

Instead of using her position to urge Bath and Northeast Somerset Council to provide vouchers to families entitled to free school meals – as so many other councils have – Ms Hobhouse has set up a charity appeal.

It is always heartwarming to see that people care enough to donate to charity.

But we cannot have a situation in Bath and Northeast Somerset where children have to rely on charity in order to eat.

Charity is not a sustainable, effective or dignified solution to food poverty: it will not reach all those in need; it cannot tackle the root causes; and there is a stigma attached to accessing it.

If we want to combat food poverty, we must focus not on charity but on justice.

This means ensuring that people have enough income to feed their children.

Clearly this is government’s responsibility – as Wera Hobhouse has recognised – but if central government will not make provision for families, then local government must.

With child poverty affecting one in three children in some areas of B&NES, councillors cannot pre

tend to have been caught unawares by its existence.

It is an issue they should have addressed years ago.

‘No child should go hungry,’ tweeted Wera Hobhouse. It’s easy to say.

But if she is serious about tackling hunger she must direct her energies to ensuring that parents

are given, not food parcels, but the means to buy their children food.

This means insisting that the council gets its act together and have a voucher scheme ready for Christmas.

Anything less is denying our children the security they deserve. Jane Middleton

Bath