Markus Andrews

The majority of food banks have seen demand soar in the weeks since universal credit was cut, and are warning of a “heartbreaking” winter ahead as they struggle with dwindling stock levels.Charities told The Independent they are worried the squeeze in the food supply means they may be forced to turn hungry families away in the months ahead.A survey carried out by the Independent Food Aid Network (Ifan) found 66 per cent of food banks have seen an increase in the need for help over the past few weeks, as the £20-a-week cut in universal credit hits home.The mid-October survey, shared with The Independent, showed 63 per cent of food banks have also experienced problems with stock due to the supply chain crisis.Some 45 per cent of food bank managers in the network said they would have to consider reducing the size of their food parcels – or even turning away new people coming to them for help.William McGranaghan, who runs Dad’s House food bank in London’s West Brompton area, said demand for food parcels has shot up from around 250 to 400 households in the past few weeks.“It’s dire out there,” he said. “The universal credit cut is a nightmare, because £86 a month is a lot. It’s pushed people into trouble quickly. And it’s happening as we’re seeing the squeeze on supply. We rely on donations at supermarkets and the big surplus charities and they just don’t have as much to give us.”McGranaghan added: “I fear we’re going to be struggling to get enough in the next couple of months and some of our own shelves will be empty. I’m not looking forward to telling people, ‘Sorry – we don’t have any food’. It could be heartbreaking.”FareShare – a national charity that distributes surplus stock to food banks and charities across Britain – said bulk deliveries into its warehouses were down by 30 per cent, simply because the HGV drivers are not available to bring it from supermarkets and other food businesses.Spokesperson Lindsay Boswell said: “It’s a crisis which has hit the whole food sector. The supply of surplus food FareShare gets is really being squeezed, and as a result not as much food is reaching the vulnerable people we support as there could be. We need support to get more surplus food into the system quickly, rather than it go to waste.”Food banks are also reporting reductions in individual donations of food and cash, as many people across the country feel the pinch from rising living costs.Tina Harrison, who runs the Trinity Foodbank from a church hall in Bury, said her team was already having to be reduce food parcels to “the very basics”. They normally have a few weeks’ worth of stock, but supply problems mean they are now planning “week to week”.Harrison said: “Some days we’re thinking, ‘How will be have enough to get through next week?’ Some families have asked whether there will be enough food. Some have told us they’re wondering whether they’ll have to turn their heating off.”The Bury food bank gives out around 85 food packages a week – up from 70 a few weeks ago – and Harrison is expecting demand to keep rising in the weeks ahead. “It’s going to be a hard. The cut to universal credit is happening at a time when energy bills and other living costs are going up. This winter really worries me.”Penny Keevil, manager at Second Chance Medway in Kent, said the crisis support charity usually have three months’ worth of food, but it has dwindled to just one months’ supply. Her team is also seeing an extra 20 to 25 new people each week in October.As well as the cut to the universal credit uplift introduced at the start of the pandemic, some working locally in the hospitality industry have seen hours cut and been pushed onto zero-hours contracts since the end of the furlough scheme.“There’s a lot of anxiety – untold pressure on people,” said Keevil. “We’ll do our best to help everyone we possibly can, but I’m get really worried about having enough food.”Sabine Goodwin, coordinator of Ifan, made up of over more than 500 independent food banks, said: “Food banks in our network are already seeing the impact of the cut to universal credit, cost of living increases and the end of the furlough scheme while struggling to access the supplies they need for food parcels.”She said it was “essential” that cuts to universal credit and working tax credit were reversed and the government addresses the underlying problems of low pay.“Expecting food banks to pick up the pieces with unsustainable food supplies won’t address the underlying problem of poverty and risks food bank volunteers being put in the impossible position of having to turn people needing help away,” Goodwin added.UK government ministers have praised food banks operators, with work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey previously describing them as the “perfect way” to help the poorest and most vulnerable.However, the Scottish government has recognised the underlying problem of low household incomes, publishing a draft plan to “end the need for food banks” earlier this week.Social justice secretary Shona Robison said: “We share the same vision as food bank operators – they are not a long-term solution to poverty.”A spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions said: “We know the best route towards financial independence is through well-paid work, which is why our multibillion pound plan for jobs is helping boost skills and opportunity, while universal credit continues to provide a vital safety net for millions.“The Household Support Fund is helping the most vulnerable with essential costs through this winter, and is distributed by councils, who are best placed to ensure those in need in their local areas can be identified and supported as soon as possible.”The Independent’s Help the Hungry campaign, run in partnership with the The Evening Standard, helped raise over £10m for Britons struggling to access food during the pandemic. 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The UK is flouting a United Nations convention by failing to ensure that people can afford to make court challenges to protect the environment, it has been ruled.The Aarhus Convention is an international treaty, signed by the UK, to guarantee the public access to information, participation in decision-making, and the ability to contest green controversies in law.But the UN Economic and Social Council has judged that the government has failed to act on previous warnings that it is “prohibitively expensive” for campaigners to bring legal action over environmental issues.While progress has been made in some areas, the UK has not “met the requirements” set down as far back as 2017, its ruling said.Ministers have been told to “ensure that the allocation of costs in all court procedures … is fair and equitable and not prohibitively expensive”.They must also consider “assistance mechanisms to remove or reduce financial barriers to access to justice” and are required to submit an action plan by no later than next July.The judgment is a further embarrassment for the government ahead of the landmark Cop26 summit in Glasgow, following controversies over delays to passing its Environment Bill.The group ClientEarth, which has pursued No 10 over the convention – drawn up 20 years ago – said the government was “not serious about holding itself to a high standard”.“Amid the current climate and biodiversity crises, it is more important than ever for the public to be able to exercise their environmental rights,” said Gillian Lobo, a senior lawyer, “whether that be requesting information from the government or challenging them in court when they make unlawful decisions.“The UK should be taking all necessary steps to comply with the treaty it has ratified on access to justice, not making its position worse.”Ms Lobo warned that government threats to curb the use of judicial review threatened to “shift the dial further in the wrong direction”.There are 47 parties to the Aarhus Convention – 46 nations in Europe and central Asia, plus the European Union – and it is legally binding for those who have signed it.It is designed to build trust between members of the public and governments by demonstrating that people’s participation in the decision-making process is valued.Four years ago, in 2017, the UK was told to submit a detailed progress report after the compliance committee said that recent policies were moving the UK further away from the convention’s goals.That progress report, submitted in 2018 – plus later ones in 2019 and in October last year – have now also been rejected by the committee, but there is no mechanism to compel the UK to comply.A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said: “The UK takes its Aarhus obligations seriously and we are disappointed with a number of the compliance findings.“We will continue to work closely with the UN to enhance global environmental governance standards.” More

Boris Johnson has refused to commit to wearing a mask in the Commons — just days after Sajid Javid said public figures should “set an example”.The prime minister also insisted that “at the moment we see absolutely nothing to indicate” that another winter lockdown was on the cards, despite infections passing 50,000 yesterday for the first time in three months.Asked at a vaccine centre whether he will be “leading by example” and wearing a mask in the Commons, Mr Johnson sidestepped the question and said there were “lots of steps that we need to take to continue to follow the guidance”.“So commonsensical things – washing your hands, wearing a mask in confined spaces where you don’t normally meet other people …where you are meeting people that you don’t normally meet I should say,” he added.“That’s sensible. But the key message for today is for all people, over 50s, think about getting your booster jab.”Questioned at a Covid briefing at No 10 earlier this week, Mr Javid was pressed on Conservative MPs seen without face masks in the chamber, as it was suggested this could leave members of the government open to allegations they were not practicing what they preach. “I think that’s a very fair point,” the cabinet minister said, adding that ministers and health leaders “have all got our role to play in this”.“We also have a role to play to set an example as private individuals as well, I think that’s a very fair point and I’m sure a lot of people will have heard you,” he said.Mr Johnson’s comments on Friday, however, appeared to endorse those of Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons leader, who said the advice on crowded spaces was “crowded spaces with people that you don’t know — we on this side know each other.”The senior Conservative suggested MPs from other parties did not like “mixing”, adding: “We on this side have a more convivial, fraternal spirit – and are therefore following the guidance of Her Majesty’s government.”Earlier the health and social care minister Gillian Keegan also defended her colleagues not wearing masks in the chamber, telling Sky News that face coverings should not become a “sign of virtue” and were less important than vaccines and booster jabs.Mr Johnson’s remarks on Friday came as the government faces escalating pressure to implement the backup “plan B” proposals to stem the spread of Covid infections, including mandatory face masks, vaccine passports in crowded spaces and advice to work from home.While the prime minister said the country is seeing “high levels of infection”, he claimed they are not outside the parameters of what was predicted. “But it’s very important that people do follow the guidance on general behaviour, on being cautious, on wearing masks in confined places where you’re meeting people you don’t normally meet,” he said.“Wear a mask, wash hands, ventilation, all that kind of thing, but also get your booster jab, and that’s the key message that we want to get across.“Our autumn and winter plan always predicted that cases would rise around about now and we’re certainly seeing that in the numbers.”Asked whether a full lockdown with the order to “stay at home” and shops closing is out of the question this winter, the prime minister replied: “I’ve got to tell you at the moment that we see absolutely nothing to indicate that is on the cards at all”. More

Boris Johnson used the £2.6m Downing Street briefing room for a private screening of the new James Bond film, No 10 has admitted.The government has been under fire for spending millions on fitting out the room – only to scrap plans for White House-style press conferences, which was the purpose.Instead, the room is used for twice-daily briefings with political journalists, but has been unavailable for the last two days for unspecified “events”.At first, Mr Johnson’s spokesman would not confirm that No Time to Die was screened there last night for the prime minister and his staff, as The Times reported, saying he did not know the nature of the event that took place.Later, a No 10 spokesman said: “Yesterday, the prime minister met with Pinewood Studios, Universal Pictures, Eon Productions and the BFI to congratulate them on the success of the latest James Bond instalment – a testament to the talent of British creative industry.“An evening film screening took place for staff, who made voluntary donations, with all proceeds going to Sarcoma UK [a cancer charity].” Installation costs were paid by the companies.The plan for televised press conferences was scrapped six months ago – after No 10 got cold feet over the prospect of his spokeswoman facing an intensive grilling from reporters.Labour accused Mr Johnson of a “vanity project” in creating the room – but the government argued it needed a “modern press facility” and it did stage a media briefing by health secretary Sajid Javid this week.The cost of the refit, of No 9 Downing Street, was revealed to be £2,607,767.67, largely excluding VAT, after a Freedom of Information request.The bills included £1,848,695 for the “main works”, £198,024 on “long lead items”, and £33,395 on broadband equipment.Allegra Stratton was due to front the televised briefings, but was instead handed the job of the government’s spokeswoman for the Cop26 climate summit.While the briefing room is being used for ‘events”, the prime minister’s spokesman has held briefings, with no cameras, in No 10 instead.Then-culture secretary Oliver Dowden insisted the venue was “not a waste of money”, because the room previously used for press conferences was too small and “not fit for purpose”.The “modern press facility” was similar to those used by other leaders around the world and would be available for future governments, not just the current one, he said. More

Peers have been told former MP Frank Field is “dying”, as he revealed his support for a bill enabling terminally ill people to legally seek assistance to end their lives.Lord Field, who lost his seat at the 2019 election after resigning Labour to sit as an independent, said he had recently spent a “short period” in a hospice and was not well enough to attend the upper chamber debate.His comments were read out in a statement by the crossbench peer Baroness Meacher, who said her bill on legalising assisted dying was an attempt to drag existing legislation “out of the 1960s and into the present day”.Lady Meacher said the current law turns “compassionate friends and family into criminals” with those who are judged to have assisted someone in taking their life facing the possibility of prosecution and prison sentences.Reading out a statement on behalf of the former MP of 40 years, Lady Meacher told peers: “Our colleague Lord Field of Birkenhead, who is dying, asked me to read out a short statement.”Peers heard Lord Field said: “I’ve just spent a short period in a hospice and I’m not well enough to participate in today’s debate. If I had been, I’d have spoken strongly in favour of the second reading.“I changed my mind on assisting dying when an MP friend dying of cancer wanted to die early before the full horror effects set in, but was denied this opportunity.”Lord Field, who was lined up for a peerage after losing his seat when Boris Johnson called a snap election in winter 2019, also argued: “A major argument against the bill is unfounded. It is thought by some the culture would change and that people would be pressured into ending their lives.“The number of assisted deaths in the US and Australia remains very low — under one per cent — and a former Supreme Court judge of Victoria, Australia, about pressures from relatives, said it just hasn’t been an issue.”In a plea to peers, he added: “I hope the House will today voted for the Assisted Dying Bill”.Lord Field, who was elected on 10 occasions to serve the constituents of Birkenhead since 1979, served as the minister in the Department for Social Security between 1997 and 1998 — Tony Blair’s first year in No 10.The pro-Brexit MP resigned the Labour whip in 2018, criticising the leadership for becoming a “force for antisemitism in British politics” and also blamed a “culture of intolerance, nastiness and intimidation” in local parties after siding with the government in critical Brexit votes and losing a vote of no confidence. More

The Conservative Party has become mired in a row over claims that fundraising bosses offered property developers a dinner with housing minister Michael Gove for £4,000.Mr Gove refused to sit next to developers at the Tory conference event following a “behind the scenes row”, according to Sky News – citing witnesses who said the senior cabinet minister was “visibly frustrated”.Tory co-chair Ben Elliot, at the centre of recent “cash for access” claims, and members of his fundraising team were called into question over the alleged incident.One unnamed minister told the broadcaster: “Nobody really wants to do these dinners because there is always a risk of conflict of interest, but this one was a joke.”The minister added: “Ben Elliot and his team push it as far as they can get away with and it puts people in an impossible position. They have some real questions to answer here.”A spokesperson for the Conservatives denied the claim, however, telling The Independent: “At no stage in the preparation for this event did CCHQ plan to sit Mr Gove with any property developers. Any claims to the contrary are entirely false.”Emails published earlier this month showed Tory backers were offered “a table of 10 plus a senior minister” for £4,000 at the Business Leaders’ Dinner in Manchester.An email shared with The Mirror stated: “If this is something you wish to go ahead with, I can arrange an invoice and send you further details – a document will be circulated where you can place your preference of senior minister to host your table.”An unnamed Tory told The Sun: “Michael was trying to be whiter than white on this stuff and as he’s in charge of billions of potential developments, he had made clear he would not sit with developers.”It follows the controversy over access given to Conservative donor and property mogul Richard Desmond. He was seated at a fundraising dinner next to ex-housing minister Robert Jenrick, who later approved a £1bn property development involving Mr Desmond’s firm.Leading Tory donor Mohamed Amersi has suggested the party convenes a “special investigation” into the potential conflicts of interest surrounding Tory co-chair Mr Elliot, founder of the luxury concierge service Quintessentially.Mr Elliot’s activities first fell under the spotlight in August when details it was reported that a Conservative donor club – which includes members who have given at least £250,000 – was developed in a bid to connect Tory backers with senior figures.Last month Mr Elliot was warned by the government’s lobbying watchdog that he must uphold a “clear distinction” between his political role and his private business interests.Asked about the conference dinner, a Conservative spokesperson said: “For this event, as with others organised by the party, CCHQ undertook robust due diligence to guard against any conflicts of interest.“It will not come as news that the Conservative Party, like all major political parties, holds a business event at its annual conference.”The Independent has approached Mr Gove, recently made minister for levelling up, housing and communities, for comment. More

MPs are set to be offered “trained and accredited” guards at constituency surgeries in order to bolster security in the wake of the killing of Sir David Amess last week.It comes after a man was charged with the murder of the Conservative MP’, who was stabbed while holding a surgery at a church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex — renewing concerns over the security of MPs.Earlier this week Priti Patel, the home secretary, said the threat facing members had been elevated to “substantial” after a review of intelligence by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre linked to MI5.While it did not find any “specific or imminent threat” to MPs’ safety, the cabinet minister insisted that counter-terror police will ensure the “change is properly reflected in the operational posture”.In a joint letter to MPs this week, Ms Patel and the Commons speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, warned that their safety is at risk from a “small minority of hostile individuals”.The correspondence, first reported by The Times, acknowledges members will be “rightly concerned about their own safety and security, and that of their staff”.“The work you carry out can put you at odds with a wide range of ideologies and views and a small minority of hostile individuals may be motivated by grievances which are difficult to detect and whose actions are hard to predict”.They added a “trained and accredited security operative will be available to come to your constituency surgeries”. Equipment such as panic buttons in offices and fob-style emergency alarms have already been made available to MPs.After some MPs suggested stopping face-to-face meetings while the security review was conducted by officials, the letter told politicians: “The choice of whether or not to hold a physical surgery is an entirely personal one based on our individual situations.“Thee is no suggestion there being a right or wrong way to hold surgeries; the priority is for you to hold a safe surgery, if you choose to hold one”.“As MPs, we must have in mind not just our responsibility to ourselves and our families to follow security best practice but also our duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of our staff and our constituents,” it added. More

Rishi Sunak’s plans to cut billions more from overseas aid in next week’s spending review have been attacked by the government’s own climate crisis advisers.The expected move – which would come on top of the existing £4bn-a-year reduction – risk failure at next month’s crucial Cop 26 summit where trust in the UK is “of crucial importance”, they say.It would show the UK is not “serious about” helping to protect the world’s poorest countries from the devastating effects of global heating, a letter to Boris Johnson warns.It has been sent by a panel known as the Friends of COP – appointed by summit president Alok Sharma – to advise the government and boasts experienced climate experts from around the world.Mr Sunak is believed to be planning several “accounting tricks” that would further reduce the amount of UK money that is spent on humanitarian and development aid.Foreign currency handouts from the International Monetary Fund to help developing countries cope with Covid – known as Special Drawing Rights – would be counted as aid.The same switch is likely to be made over the cost of giving Covid vaccines to developing countries and chunks of aid could be switched from day-to-day spending budgets to “capital” budgets.The Centre for Global Development think tank, said the changes, if all made together, could cut the Foreign Office’s discretionary aid budget from £8bn to as little as £2bn.Now the letter threatens huge embarrassment for the prime minister, who is already wrestling with fears that Cop26 will fail to reach a deal to prevent catastrophic climate change.Seen by the BBC, it reads: “As ‘Friends of COP’ we are writing to you to express our deep concern at the prospect of further UK aid cuts in the final few days before COP26.“The ability of the UK to act as a genuine, trusted partner for developing countries is of crucial importance to COP26’s success.“Further implied cuts to overseas aid at the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) would send a signal that the UK is neither committed to, nor serious about, enabling a green global recovery from the pandemic, nor improving the resilience of the most vulnerable to climate change.”Mr Sunak overcame a Tory backbench rebellion to ram through the current £4bn-a-year cuts, which are almost certain to continue until after the next general election.The Friends of COP who have signed the letter include the heads of the Grantham Research Institute of Climate Change and the European Climate Foundation, plus a former Cop president and head of the UN framework convention on climate change.But a Treasury spokesperson said the UK “is and will remain a world leader in international development”, spending more than £10bn a year.The country will return to spending 0.7 per cent of national income – having slashed it to 0.5 per cent – “when the fiscal situation allows”. More