1. Press Release
Foodbanks – A sign of a failing society?
On April17th Newbury Labour Party wroteto almost every councillor
in WestBerks asking them whether they agreed with an article in
The Independent, whichstated that the UK wasbreaching
internationallaw by violating the human right to food. Under
internationalhuman-rights law, the Governmentislegally required
to secure the human right to adequate food for everyonein the UK.
Please find a copy of the email below
Dear Councillors
Did you happen to see the headline in The Independent yesterday,
'Food Poverty: The Scandal That Shames Britain'?
The article states that in Britain nearly a million people now rely on
handouts to eat. More than 900,000 people were given emergency food
in the past year, which according to the Trussell Trust is an increase of
163%.
In West Berks between March 2013 and August 2013 the number of
people fed by food banks grew from 3 to 771, including 209 children.
The Trussell Trust said that the Government's use of sanctions was,
'increasingly harsh' and half of those referred to food banks in 2013 -
2014 were as a result of benefit delays or changes.
Would you agree that the UK is breaching international law by violating
the human right to food and do you support the existence of food
banks?
The Newbury Labour Party look forward to hearing from you.
It was noteworthy that not a single councillor responded.
A second email was then sent to Gordon Lundie, Leader of the
Councilasking him whether West Berks would be followingother
councils such as DerbyshireCC in providingsupportfor localpeople
who are struggling. DerbyshireCC will be investing £126,000 from
its publichealth budgetinto food banks.
Mr Lundieresponded very briefly statingthat,,’our policies are all
public and can be found on our website”.
What is striking in this slow and unhelpfulresponseis the council’s
apparentcontemptfor those peoplewho are struggling to make ends
meet and how much of a low priority they are. It also misses the

2. point, as the question putto them wasnot one of policy but oneof
morality.
In recent news West Berks Councilare imposingtax burdenson the
district’s poorest. They are increasing the minimum contribution for
peoplewho receive counciltax assistance. Many peopleaffected by
this are those in work on low incomes. The councilclaims that it
needsto ask for the extra money because it willnot receive the same
£170,000 grantfrom centralgovernmentthat it did last year. At the
same time however the council has thrown away its opportunity to
increase its annualincomeby over £300,000 by refusingto levy
counciltax on homes which are left empty.
West Berks Councilseems comfortable at supportingsecond
homeownerswhilst at the sametime are forcingsome of the poorest
peopleto shell out moremoney each month. Perhapsthis is why they
appear so indifferentto many local peoplehaving to turn to food
banks to survive. If the councillorsthemselves had to rely on food
banks, they would havemoreinterest in the subject.