Liverpool is facing a “humanitarian crisis” that will worsen as the “cost of living bites”, according to Liverpool MP Ian Byrne.
The MP was speaking ahead of Rishi Sunak’s spring budget statement and is calling on the chancellor to take swift action to ensure “millions of people aren't cast into poverty.” Chancellor Rishi Sunak will address Parliament later today where he is facing growing calls to intervene in what many are regarding as a “catastrophic” cost of living crisis.
Ian Byrne and fellow campaigner Dave Kelly are lobbying the Chancellor to place food provisions into law in a bid to tackle the cost of living crisis. This comes as households are set to face a 50% rise in energy prices from April 1 with the price of food and fuel also on the rise. Annual energy bills could reach £2,000 for those on prepayment meters with fuel currently above £1.67 per litre - a UK record high.
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On Monday, Ian Byrne and fellow campaigners delivered a letter to Chancellor “asking him to address the humanitarian crisis which we're seeing in our communities," according to the West Derby MP. The campaign has been spearheaded by Fans Supporting Food Banks, an organisation established by Ian Byrne and Dave Kelly in 2015.
Mr Byrne told the ECHO: “We've been asking the chancellor to support the campaign to put the right to food in legislation since it started in 2020. Everyday the situation becomes graver for so many across my constituency, the city and indeed the country.
"The emails I'm getting through my inbox are soul destroying. People are in desperate situations not knowing how they're going to cope with the rises.
"The Chancellor has to react. He's got to address what is happening in people's pockets and the right to food goes towards doing that.”
One aspect of the campaign would be to provide universal free school meals. Mr Byrne added: “As we know 4.5m kids are going hungry and that is only going to rise as the cost of living crisis bites. The chancellor showed during covid he can act swiftly, he can do the same again.”
Gerald Rivett, chairman of Liverpool Community Advice, told the ECHO how a steep rise in food prices is likely to be felt in the coming months. Mr Rivett points to the ongoing situation in Ukraine and its potential impact on wholesale wheat and cooking oil prices.
He said: “Ukraine accounts for seven to eight% of the world's export market for wheat. The Ukrainian crisis has added fuel to the fire on wheat prices.
"Russia and Ukraine combined account for about 84% of the world export market for sunflower oil. In the next month these prices will go through the roof.
“It is a pretty bleak situation. Whether we like it or not, we as members of the public are going to have to tighten our belts.”
Mr Rivett added that more people will be pushed towards using food banks as they look to cut back on food expenditure. In the view of Dave Kelly, co-founder of Fans Support Food Banks, the Chancellor can act to help relieve pressure on the situation.
He told the ECHO: “Hunger in our communities is a direct consequence of political decisions. I believe that tomorrow the Chancellor, in one fell swoop, could eradicate food poverty in the UK.
“We're urging the Chancellor to use this opportunity tomorrow to agree that a well fed and well nourished country is for the benefit of us all.” Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Mr Sunak said he would not be able to "fully protect" people from the consequences of rising prices.
In the same interview, he added: "I want to be honest with people that it's not going to be easy. I wish government could solve absolutely every problem and that I could fully protect people against all the challenges that lie ahead.
"I can't do that, but what I would say is I will stand by them in the same way that I have done in the past couple of years."
