AN SNP MP is to present a bill to Westminster urging the Tory government to follow in Scotland’s footsteps and publish a plan to end the use of food banks in the UK.
It comes after the Scottish Government published their own plan, which spells out nine actions which it says will help to push down the number of people forced to turn to food banks over the next three years.
However, the Scottish Government has insisted it does not have the full breadth of powers it would need to eradicate food bank use entirely.
Chris Stephens, the SNP MP for Glasgow South West, will table a bill urging the UK Government to publish a plan to end the use of food banks by 2030.
Stephens said: “Over the last decade, the need for food banks has grown rapidly, with many now seeing record numbers coming through the doors.
“The Scottish Government has shown real leadership in its ambition to reverse this trend, and my bill would move us one step closer to being a hunger-free country.
“If Rishi Sunak is serious about tackling poverty UK-wide, he must support this bill.
“By doing so, we could turbo-charge Scotland’s goal of ending food banks as well as the UK's.
“However, there can be no doubt that the only way to eradicate poverty in Scotland for good is by ending Westminster control through independence.
“Only then can we begin to build a stronger, fairer, more prosperous country for all.”
Polly Jones, the head of Scotland at the Trussell Trust, previously said that Scotland’s plan was a blueprint which other UK nations should follow.
She said: “Food bank use in Scotland is at an all-time high, with hundreds of thousands of Scots needing to access charitable food support. This is the first plan to reduce the need for food banks from any government in the UK and sets a precedent for other governments around the UK to follow.
“We are pleased the Scottish Government have listened to food banks and published this long-awaited plan.”
From April 2022 to March 2023, the Trussell Trust said it handed out 2,986,203 emergency food parcels across the UK, a 37% increase on the previous year.
In Scotland, 259,744 emergency food parcels were provided, the charity said. This was also a record high and an increase of 30% on the previous year.
