On Thursday, Lewes District Food Partnership coordinator Nancy and members of our networks attended a packed-out hustings at King’s Church to hear how candidates for the general election will address hunger in Lewes District and support the development of a local Good Food Movement.
The hustings was attended by Danny Sweeney of Labour, James McCleary of the Liberal Democrats and Bernard Brown of reform. Green candidate Paul Keene, Conservative candidate Maria Caulfield and Social Democrat candidate Rowena Easton were not present.
With questions covering poverty, the climate and nature crisis and the support available to young people with special needs and those caring for them, there was plenty for the candidates to get their teeth into. We were especially pleased to hear a question from Emergency Food Network member Anna Scott, who
asked:
Use of emergency food provision in Lewes District has increased massively over the last decade. Why
do you think this is, and what will you personally do to make reducing the need for emergency food provision a priority in parliament if you are elected?
All three candidates drew on personal experiences of financial difficulties growing up to respond. In their different ways, they each illustrated how the opportunities and support that their families were able to access at the time have since disappeared, leaving so many families with no other choice but to use a
foodbank. Beyond their acknowledgement of the unacceptable level of need for emergency food provision in Lewes District, we were left hungry for more concrete details on what each of the candidates would actually do – both personally and as part of their parties – if elected to tackle the underlying problems.
To dig deeper into what they’re promising if elected, we summarise the key pledges made by the candidates over the course of the hustings. This summary focuses on pledges addressing the prevalence of food insecurity in Lewes District and developing a sustainable local food system.
Danny Sweeney, Labour:
- Addressing the punitive nature of the current benefits system to create a more supportive benefits
system - Reducing energy bills through GB energy & support for insulation
- Addressing the climate and nature crises through GB energy as carbon-free provider by 2030 and
expansion of protected areas
James McCleary, Liberal Democrats:
- Committing to support those on the lowest income through: insulation to reduce heating costs;
extension of free school meals; scrapping of two child benefit cap - Developing cross-party consensus to address poverty
- Increasing carer’s allowance and addressing processes of assessing eligibility
- Developing local partnerships with farmers to develop sustainable solutions to challenges faced by
climate change
Bernard Brown, Reform:
- Addressing poverty through scrapping the two child benefit cap, stimulating growth, reducing the tax
on the lowest earners, addressing the cost of local housing and prosecutions for council tax bills. Addressing practices of companies ‘importing cheap labour’ to uphold decent wages - Maintaining sanctions for those on benefits not fulfilling their ‘contract’ to attend interviews to
get into work; ensure that benefits system supports those that actually need it and get people back into work - Use planning system to protect threatened nature/ancient woodland
For more information about how the different parties’ manifestos respond to the challenges surrounding food and farming, check out Sustain’s manifesto tracker.
2024
political party manifestos | Sustain (sustainweb.org)
We’d like to see more in-depth responses to the different factors driving emergency food provision in Lewes District. So we’ve followed up with all candidates – whether present at the hustings or not – to invite them to answer the following questions:
Engaging with local people and local projects
- Lewes District Emergency Food Network meets every six weeks to share best practice and common challenges. If elected, will you agree to meet with our network to hear experiences of projects working on the frontline of the cost-of-living crisis?
- Lewes District Food Partnership are expanding the Feeling the Pinch project to foreground the expertise of people with lived experience to improve local pathways of accessing support. The district and county council are key stakeholders in this work. If elected, will you commit to engaging with the ‘Pinch Points’ project and listening to the voices of people most affected by the cost-of-living crisis?
Fighting poverty
- Use of emergency food provision in Lewes District has increased massively over the last decade. Why do you think this is, and what will you personally do to make reducing the need for emergency food provision a priority in parliament if you are elected?
- 5 out of 6 low-income households on Universal Credit are going without essentials. 66% of the public think the basic rate of Universal Credit is too low. Do you agree with the principle of an ‘essentials guarantee’ – that benefits should be set at a high enough level that households avoid destitution?
Supporting families and children
- In Lewes District, only 63% of people eligible for Healthy Start are currently accessing this vital support. Will you commit to auto-enrolment of government nutritional support programmes such as Free School Meals and Healthy Start?
- According to a recent publication by the Food Foundation, type 2 diabetes in young people has tripled since 2012, obesity amongst 10-11 year olds has increased by 30% since 2006 and the average height of five year olds has decreased consistently since 2015. What will you do if elected to ensure that every child, irrespective of background, household income or age, has access to a nutritious meal every day in nursery or school? What will you do if elected to increase access to healthy, affordable food for low-income families?
Sustainable funding for local communities
- The Household Support Fund has been a lifeline for community food providers in Lewes District, and has enabled the Food Partnership to invest in local community resilience through small grants. However, the uncertainty surrounding the renewal of the fund has left projects unable to plan for the future. How will you ensure that local community initiatives have access to sustainable and reliable funding streams?
With thanks to King’s Church and Lewes Churches Together for organising.
With thanks to King’s Church and Lewes Churches
Together for organising.
