Britain’s network of food banks have never been busier. Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham says every food parcel represents a family in need

I WELL remember the day I “officially” opened the Billingham Food Bank – praising local churches, volunteers and the Trussell Trust for meeting a real need, but also telling them of the shame I felt as a politician that it had proved necessary to have such projects in our towns.

Since then demand has grown but, sadly, the stories of those needing a food parcel haven’t been told – until now.

Each day, there are things we all take for granted. From something as simple as the mobile phone in our pocket to the mid-morning coffee we might have indulged in, or being able to turn the heating on when the weather takes a turn for the worse. Many of us are fortunate enough to enjoy these pleasures, but too often we don’t stop to appreciate how privileged we are.

I was reminded of all that recently when I met Kayleigh Garthwaite from the Centre for Health and Inequalities Research at Durham University. She told me how, in researching her new book, Hunger Pains, she spent a number of years volunteering at a food bank in my own Stockton North constituency and interviewing those who passed through the doors.

Hearing Kayleigh’s first-hand account of the sacrifices being made in our own communities made for very uncomfortable listening: the income crisis that is too often faced when problems with welfare support arise; the intertwining of longer-term issues such as fuel poverty, low paid work and debt; and the tipping points that so often kick-start these crises, such as unexpected ill health or bereavement.

But, regardless of how prickly or unpleasant they may seem, we cannot continue trying to sweep these issues under the carpet. Food bank use has risen sharply in the last five years. More than 1.1 million three-day emergency food packages were distributed by the Trussell Trust in 2015/16, and over one-third went to children. These are real people. They live in our communities and they are struggling on our watch.

This is a distressing legacy of the previous prime minister and one that shows no sign of abating. That so many people can, in the 21st Century, be forced to rely on foodbanks is something that should shame us all. Yet ministers have yet to come forward with a real answer to this problem.

As the Labour Party enters a period of introspection, it is right that we pay attention to these problems and that we bring to the fore issues of social justice and inequality. We must ask the uneasy questions of why the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” is wider now than at any time in generations. And as a Party, we must look to inspire hope for everybody as we seek out solutions. Addressing these concerns must become our priority.

While foodbanks provide a lifeline to those who have come to rely on them, Kayleigh’s conclusion that they exist to pick up the pieces of a broken social security safety net is sorely accurate. It is a story that is all too common, both at home in Teesside and elsewhere across the country. But we cannot, nor should we, continue to place such heavy reliance on charity to remedy the ills of poverty being wrought upon society. Foodbanks, and the various other programmes of a similar vein, cannot be allowed to become the new normal.

Instead, we must be bold and commit to tackling these problems at source, confronting poverty wages and addressing sources of insecurity such as fuel poverty while nurturing the economy. But, as is made clear in Hunger Pains, we must also listen to those with first-hand experiences to better design our support systems and remove any stigma attached to such safety nets.

We should wear our shame, but make sure that we work for the changes we so desperately need to see so that one day, we can ensure social and economic justice for all – and start closing the food banks down.