Blame Tories for foodbank Britain

■ WHEN half-starving British families received three million emergency food parcels last year, it beggars belief that Britain still considers itself to be a caring country. The answer is surely no.

The banking crash of 2008 lit the fire for over a decade of enforced austerity by the heartless Tories, where the rich became richer and the poor became poorer. Before then, foodbanks were unheard of.

We are reverting to Dickensian times, reminding us of Oliver Twist pleading for another bowl of soup. Bumble, the cruel pompous beadle in the poorhouse where orphaned Oliver Twist lived in squalor, had Bumbledom named after him, characterising the self-importance of the petty bureaucrat.

Speaking of which, the finger of shame should be directly pointed at the dishevelled Tories, architects of our foodbank society.

Bill Cook, Teignmouth, Devon

■ A senior Bank of England official says that people must accept they are poorer to stop inflation while another involved in pensions says we will have to work until 70. Isn’t it about time to equalise the minimum wages people are allowed to earn with a maximum wage policy? Then the billionaires, the millionaires and all those earning above the average wage may learn that they must also accept that we are poorer due to the Government’s policies in recent years?

As a strong unionminded person, I believe in improving living standards of those at the bottom end, but it has only got worse over the years.

The present idea of taxing us then giving it back is ridiculous as the cost of collection then redistribution means far less is available to be paid out than is collected.

A total rethink and a total new governance is required.

Eddie Fidler, Wolvercote, Oxford

■ It really makes me fume that a Bank of England boss has stated that we all have to accept that we are all worse off and to stop asking for a pay rise.

Well, the NHS staff have had below-inflation pay rises for the last 13 years and are on their knees. The rest of the country are pretty much the same after 13 years of austerity started by Cameron and continued by every other prime minister after him.

One thing you won’t see is a banker in a foodbank, they are never short of money.

Tony Howard, Salford

■ Bank of England economist Huw Pill is completely right. People really DO need to accept they are poorer. That way they might stop being poorer.

We might all get back to normal a bit quicker if the socialist Left stopped getting so hysterical every time someone suggests that struggling people should take some responsibility and manage their finances a bit better.

I’m dirt poor, but I don’t borrow money. I refuse to get into debt, I put aside enough for bills, I don’t use foodbanks, I manage to eat enough but I know how and when to go without if I need to.

It’s called basic common sense and more people should try using a bit of it.

Stefan Badham, Portsmouth

■ Remember when the living standard went up every year and we knew the future was going to be better than the past?

That was 1945 to 1979, and socialism, apparently. Since then the promises have been good but the standard of living for most people in the UK has been declining.

Now it’s in freefall.

Sebastian Melmouth, London