Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Worried teachers are having to feed hungry kids, says MP
THE cost-of-living crisis in London is a “nightmare” that is leading to teachers having to feed pupils coming into school hungry, the MP for Hayes and Harlington has said.
Speaking to the Gazette, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell MP said the rising cost of food was an “absolute nightmare for many of my constituents”.
“Teachers are really worried. They are seeing children coming in hungry and are doing what they can to support the kids themselves… A lot of the children don’t qualify for free school meals either. People are on the edge,” the Hayes and Harlington MP said.
Mr McDonnell, a former Shadow Chancellor, was speaking amid reports of another round of austerity, and potential real-terms cuts to welfare schemes like Universal Credit.
New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looks likely to make cuts as the economy reels from the soaring cost of debt after Liz Truss’ recent disastrous mini-budget.
Mr McDonnell said: “It does look as though we’re going to have another round of austerity. I just don’t think people can take it. Constituents are angry, really angry – even ones who supported the Conservatives last time round.”
The left-wing politician – who served as the Greater London Council’s chairman of finance and was deputy leader to Ken Livingstone in the 1980s, said public service workers “can’t take much more” of cuts.
He added: “I’ve never seen the number of staff leaving the NHS as now… There’s no way people can cope.”
Mr Sunak has refused to commit to raising benefits including Universal Credit in line with inflation, despite charities warning real-terms cuts to welfare would mean millions facing further hardship as prices rise.
People on some DWP and HMRC state benefits could find themselves hundreds of pounds worse off if the government presses ahead with increases that are based on wages rather than inflation.
To cut public spending, ministers may avoid putting up social security payments by the current Consumer Price Index, which hit a high of 10.1% in September.
Speaking before Liz Truss resigned as PM, Mr McDonnell said: “Even I was shocked at the lack of preparedness for the mini-budget they produced… They clearly hadn’t consulted people.”
The West London MP painted the Conservatives as less financially responsible than Labour, saying: “I was shocked at the sacking of Tom Scholar, the Treasury permanent secretary… I always found Tom extremely professional, very impressive and really competent. I met with his team and they were putting forward ideas on how to implement our manifesto… You need those sort of people around you.”