We are on the brink of a new public health crisis in London.
The cost of food has spiralled, with households facing the fastest annual increase in prices since 1977.
Data from the Trussell Trust shows that more Londoners than ever are accessing foodbanks to support themselves and their families, with 3 million food parcels being given out in the space of a year.
Foodbanks are a sad necessity in our communities, and I want to pay tribute to the hardworking staff who provide this service to residents in Southwark.
The Resolution Foundation has described food prices as the new energy bills, with food inflation at 19.1%. These sky-high prices are unsustainable and are putting many Londoners in extremely difficult situations.
My report, Growing Hungry, showed that a quarter of a million children in London go to bed hungry because they are living in food insecurity, with parents struggling to put food on the table.
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This is an awful statistic with the problem getting even worse.
The cost of infant formula, baby milk, has risen hugely. Shockingly, parents are being forced into extreme measures such as watering down formula, substituting formula with condensed milk, and even stealing formula from shops.
Infant formula is now security tagged on the shelves or behind tills. This example of desperation is a terrible indictment of the UK in 2023.
There have been calls for these prices to be capped, to ensure that all parents can afford to feed a hungry baby.
It is vital that the Government gets a grip of this crisis and brings prices down.
It is shameful that in London, the capital city of one of the richest countries in the world, children are going hungry. We need to see long-term sustainable solutions, rather than sticking plasters.
There is some hope from the Mayor of London. Accepting one of the recommendations from my report, Growing Hungry, the Mayor has made £130 million of emergency funding available from September so that every primary school child in London will receive a free school meal. This is universal, meaning every child will feel the benefit of a healthy meal, regardless of their circumstances at home.
Secondary school pupils will not get universal free school meals
This is something I have been campaigning for for a number of years.
It is reassuring to know that the quarter of a million children in London living in food insecurity will be supported by this.
