A response from the Office of Nikki Sinclaire MEP:
Nikki Sinclaire MEP has slammed comments made by a member of the Conservative party about food bank useage.
The We Demand a Referendum Now MEP has been organising collections for local food banks across the West Midlands and was horrified by the comments made by the leader of youth wing of the Tory party in West Oxfordshire.
The young sidekick of David Cameron has claimed hard-up families are turning to food banks because they’ve wasted their money on booze.
David Cameron was asked about food bank useage during Prime Ministers questions on the 30th January.
Nikki Sinclaire MEP said,
"Food bank useage in the West Midlands is growing at a frightening rate. The people who use food banks are in dire need of help.
Using a food bank can sometimes carry a stigma and comments like this could stop people who really need the support of a food bank, from coming forward. We need to break down these barriers, not build them higher".
The MEP has been meeting with local food banks across the region, and recognises the growing demand for the services food banks supply,
"The people who are using food banks are stringently checked by agencies before they are referred to a food bank. Many of the food banks I've spoken to limit the amount of parcels given to one person, meaning they are not reliant on the service forever and they often provide support to get these people back on their feet. Comments like this add stigma to food banks which is entirely unecessary.
David Cameron must get to grips with why these growing numbers of people are now unable to feed their families.".
Just this week the West Midlands MEP met with the leaders of the Tamworth food bank. Tamworth food bank has been open just 18 months, yet in that time has given away the equivalent of 6000 days worth of food to those in need. That is the equivalent of feeding 11 people per day.
