A POVERTY strategy is to be drawn up to help vulnerable families, after pleas to make sure “in 2021 in County Durham nobody goes hungry”.

Cllr Jake Miller, Labour member for Trimdon and Thornley, proposed a poverty action plan to help people in greatest need.

He put forward his motion at a Durham County Council meeting: “People across the county are living in some form of poverty.

“More and more people are now struggling to buy food and other necessities. We’re still delivering food parcels. The need is still there.

“These are not just unemployed families. These are working families. Some have three or four jobs and are still struggling to put food on the table for their families. Some are single parents, some are grandparents.

“We need a single piece of work that solely deals with food poverty to relieve the pressure on families.

“We all have a duty to look after our constituents, especially the most vulnerable.

“We have a duty to help those who are truly in need and to ensure that in 2021 in County Durham nobody goes hungry.”

Cllr Alan Shield, Durham Group member for Leadgate and Medomsley, thanked officers and volunteers for efforts to deliver food and support in the last 18 months.

These included food parcels to more than 3,000 residents, £1,4m to community organisations, £1.4m for Covid recovery work, £55,000 to food banks and £125,000 to establish community hubs with the Bread and Butter Thing.

He proposed an amendment to work on a “holistic and all-encompassing poverty strategy that addresses the needs of all vulnerable and disadvantaged families”.

He said such a “root and branch” strategy “has long been overdue”.

Cllr Patricia Jopling, Conservative member for Crook, said: “I don’t think there’s an issue with the shortage of food. It just needs to be distributed in a more cohesive manner.

“We need to get the food to the people that don’t come. These are the ones that worry me. There are people that we’re not finding.”

Cllr Maura McKeon, Labour member for Coxhoe, said it was “a stunning indictment of this 21st Century Britain” that working families could not feed and clothe their children with their earnings.

Cllr Mark-Idwal Roberts, Conservative member for West Auckland, said: “There are people who don’t know how to cook. Education should be available so that they can cook better.”

Cllr Angela Surtees, Labour member for Easington, said this was “condescending”, adding: “It’s not about cooking this food. It’s about access to this food.”

Labour councillors questioned the use of the words “joint administration” in Cllr Shield’s amendment.

This seemingly refers to the new cross-party alliance of Conservatives, Lib Dems and independents formed after Labour lost its majority on the council for the first time in 100 years in May.

The challenge led to accusations on both sides of politicising the issue, but the motion as amended by Cllr Shield was eventually carried.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054