Bassetlaw: Mann says constituency is typical of growing UK poverty crisis

John Mann is worried about the rise in the number of Bassetlaw people being forced to turn to food banks

Last month, it was that many people throughout the country are increasingly having to turn to them just to put food on the table, including many in work.

There has been a 78 per cent surge in people accessing emergency food aid over recent months.

According to the latest research, as many as one in five parents had to skip meals, ask friends or family for food, or go without so that their kids could eat over the past year.

Mr Mann commented: “Since April of this year 185 people have been forced to take food parcels in Bassetlaw.”

“Some families are forced to go back multiple times. In my constituency alone there are 3,800 children living in poverty.”

“The Coalition Government has responded to the crisis by cutting childcare support to some parents by £1,500 a year.”

“After the last Labour government over a million fewer children were in poverty than in 1997.”

“Under current policies, over a million more children are expected to be in poverty in 2020 than in 2010.”

Mr Mann, a member of the treasury select committee, continued: “Child poverty in the UK in this day and age is a disgrace and it also costs us £29 billion a year today, rising to £35 billion by 2020.”

“That will be the legacy of this government and we have to act to stop the UK poverty crisis.”