Earlier in the month, two residents of Lewes District joined with voices from across the UK to call for people’s experiences of poverty to be included in decision-making. Their journey from the LDFP Feeling the Pinch expert panel to speaking at Parliament shows how lived experience can shape national – as well as local – policy. Their powerful testimonies reached the highest levels of British politics, proving that the most effective solutions come from those who understand poverty firsthand.
The Dear Prime Minister campaign, led by Let’s End Poverty, connected together 15 people from across the country to directly address Keir Starmer with their experiences and insights from living in poverty.
Two residents of Lewes District joined the campaign, having been part of the LDFP Feeling the Pinch expert panel last Spring. They had connected with Let’s End Poverty at the Church Action on Poverty Dignity Conference in York this June, where they shared their experiences of Feeling the Pinch in a panel led by LDFP coordinator Nancy. This new campaign was an exciting opportunity to take their local work to a national level.
The 15 letters were delivered directly to the Prime Minister to mark his 100th day in office as well as Challenge Poverty Week. To launch the campaign, the letter writers were joined by supporting organisations like Church Action on Poverty, Lewes District Food Partnership and the Food Foundation as well as MPs and Peers, chaired by Kat Smith MP.
This launch event provided a platform for these individuals to speak directly to decision-makers, calling for experts by experience to be consulted for better, fairer outcomes in future policy-making. Their words were powerful and insightful, resonating deeply with all who attended.
The impact of the campaign became clear the very next day during Prime Minister’s Questions, when Keir Starmer referenced the letters, stating: “The letters are honest, powerful, and important. They hold up a mirror to our country.”
You can read all of the letters in the Dear Prime Minister campaign here.
You can also listen to Lewes District Resident Clair’s letter below:
The campaign got picked up by the Mirror, who published an article hearing directly from Lewes District resident Clair, and other letter writers, to unpack their experiences and the positive vision of change they have for the country: click below to read.
This is just the start of the conversation about how people with experiences of living in poverty can partner with policy makers to design solutions.
We are excited to be working alongside Clair and other residents of Lewes District, in our Pinch Points project, putting resident experiences at the heart of local change. We’ll be working with local and national decision-makers and community partners to co-design more effective and compassionate local support systems.
Find out more about the project here.
With thanks from the brilliant team at Let’s End Poverty for their coordination, Cat Smith MP for hosting the parliamentary event and, most importantly, the 15 letter writers for using their experiences to drive for a better, fairer system.