Alison McGovern responds to Trussell Trust food bank figures

Alison McGovern MP, Labour's Acting Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, responding to figures released by the Trussell Trust that show the number of emergency food parcels handed out by its network across the UK in a single year has reached its highest level at more than three million, said:

"These dreadful figures lay bare the reality facing households across the country after 14 years of Tory misery.

"Rocketing reliance on food banks is completely at odds with this out-of-touch Government's insistence that everything is rosy.

"But the Tories have no one left to blame for their failure after they crashed the economy and unleashed a cost of living crisis, pushing families across the country into poverty and a million children into destitution.

"Labour will tackle the root causes of poverty by growing the economy, bringing down energy bills, building more affordable housing and protecting renters, and creating better more secure jobs, as well as delivering our Child Health Action Plan, placing Young Futures hubs in every community, cutting school uniform costs and supporting parents and children by providing breakfast clubs in every primary school."