7 minute read
Politics
It is unacceptable that people in our area need help of food banks to eat
I AM chair of Bemerton Heath Residents Association. With my disabilities, I had to give up work five years ago. So I turned my attention to becoming a voluntary support worker for the wider community.
Covid was hard, but so are the circumstances people find themselves in today. Families, whether single parents or couples, working or on benefits, are all struggling to pay their bills and pay for their shopping.
When I championed The Community Fridge at St. Michaels, Bemerton Heath, it was to help with food waste. Companies were throwing billions of pounds worth of food away. We received food from major supermarkets and from smaller shops.
Coming out of the Covid lockdown period, it had become an essential life line. Unfortunately, rules changed and we started to struggle to have enough food to cope with demand. The volunteers and Rvd Kevin Martin have been wonderful and are
Cllr Jenny Bolwell Labour City Councillor for Fisherton Bemerton Ward
passionate in doing what they need to. Food banks are also dealing with an increasing number of families as is our pantry in the city centre.
The pantry came about through an initiative from Salisbury City Council which has seen a rise in residents using these facilities. The pantry’s officers and dedicated volunteers collect food to redistribute to those in need.
Recent events in parliament and with the budget will make things harder. Inflation is up, while wages and benefits are not tallying keeping pace. The rich are getting richer, and there is such a divide. We should not have families living on the breadline in this day and age. We should not have to rely on voluntary provisions like food banks and the pantry.
We vote for a government to govern, not play games with decisions that will affect every single one of us. If you are struggling, help is out there, please don’t suffer in silence. Look out for neighbours, friends and families as we all need to pull together to get through this.
LAST Tuesday, I visited the Salisbury Pantry, a membership initiative run by Salisbury City Council to provide affordable and nutritious food to local residents who are struggling to pay bills.
The Pantry is open each Tuesday from 10am, yet I often see the queues begin before 8am when I am doing the nursery run.
When I visited at 1pm, three hours after opening, the shelves were looking thin. It’s unacceptable that people in Salisbury need the support of such a scheme to afford basics: bread, fresh produce, cereal. It is heartbreaking to see baby formula on the shelves, knowing there are parents worrying about how they will feed their babies.
Many households in our community and across the country are struggling to cope with rising food and energy prices and turning to initiatives such as the Pantry to make ends meet. It has reached the point where the Trussell Trust has declared an emergency: for the first time ever they are now giving out more food than is being donated.
And while families struggle to buy school shoes, struggle to pay bills, and worry about the impending increase in their mortgage, the latest iteration of Conservative government (at the time of writing) saw fit to remove the cap on bankers’ bonuses and scrap the 45p tax rate for top earners – before u-turning (again).
The ideological fanaticism of Liz Truss to free market economics sent our economy into a
Victoria Charleston Lib Dems Parliamentary Spokesperson for Salisbury Constituency
tail-spin, with long-term and direct consequences for households in Salisbury, south Wiltshire and beyond.
One would have thought that such a catastrophe would focus Conservative MPs on finding a way to pull the economy out of this appalling nose dive. Instead, their solution is to downgrade the Cost of Living Crisis to a ‘Cost of Living Challenge’ and tell people that the next iteration of a budget, originally due to be published on October 31, will be delayed by another Conservative leadership contest.
How is it right in the 21st century that a tiny cabal of Tory party MPs and members – the same people who just months ago thought Liz Truss was the person for the job – will yet again decide on who leads the country?
While families and households across Salisbury and south Wiltshire wait to see who is going to have their turn next at running the country, I urge you to join me in donating to Salisbury Foodbank, to ensure that everyone in our town has the food they need.
At the same time, I urge you to push for a change of government, so that food banks become a thing of the past, not a vital part of our present.
Salisbury MP John Glen
Picture: UK Parliament
Top Treasury job for Salisbury MP
SAILISBURY MP John Glen has been appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury - one of the most senior positions in Number 11.
The Conservative, who was elected to Parliament in 2010, was an early and strong backer of Rishi Sunak as he campaigned to take over from Liz Truss, who resigned last week.
Mr Sunak has been unveiling his cabinet, which includes Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor, who will be Mr Glen’s direct boss at the Treasury.
Mr Glen said: “This is a tremendous honour and I recognise the enormous responsibility that comes with this position, particularly as I will now be attending Cabinet.
“Although I will be very focussed on my new role in the Treasury, I remain unwavering in my commitment to Salisbury and will continue maintain a high level of engagement with constituents and the concerns they raise.”
The promotion is not his first role at the Treasury, as he was Economic Secretary to the Treasury from January 2018 to September 2021, and from September last year to July 2022 was a Minister of State (Economic Secretary).
Previously, between June 2017 and January 2018, Mr Glen was a junior minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
And prior to that, from July 2016 to June the following year, he was Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to thenChancellor, Philip Hammond.
His new role will see the Salisbury MP responsible for public expenditure, including spending reviews and strategic planning, infrastructure spending, housing and planning and transport policy.
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As the country builds up to November 11 – Armistice Day – all our thoughts turn to the sacrifices of those who have fought for our country. From the First World War to the Falklands, the Battle of Britain to Baghdad and beyond, our Armed Forces are the best of us all. Remembrance activities in the UK – and here in the South West – are led by the Royal British Legion. The RBL supports the Armed Forces community in a myriad of ways, with hundreds of thousands of volunteers doing what they can to honour not only the fallen, but those still serving – and their families. We want to show our respect, and give something back. Your Salisbury & Avon Gazette is publishing your messages to our Armed Forces. For a donation of £10 or more – all of which will go to the RBL – we will publish your message of up to 25 words. It can be dedicated to one of The Fallen, a veteran, serving personnel or our brave forces in general. “We are passionate about supporting our Armed Forces, as we know the people of Wiltshire are too,” said publisher David Armishaw. “This is one way we can show our appreciation of those who take care of us each and every day – and we are proud to do so.” Simply follow the instructions below to place your message, and we will remember them.
Remember them, and support the Royal British Legion
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