New authority to tackle poverty in Carlisle, Allerdale & Copeland
Councillors declare a Right to Food in Cumberland
Councillors have declared Cumberland a Right to Food region.
Cumberland Council is set to take over from the existing county, city and borough councils in Carlisle, Allerdale and Copeland on April 1, 2023.
The new council is serving as a Shadow Authority until then, making key decisions in preparation for its launch.
And deputy leader Lisa Brown successfully proposed that Cumberland Council recognises residents should have a Right to Food.
The policy is designed to put health and wellbeing first in decision-making and the deputy leader believes declaring a Right to Food is the way to achieve this.
A Right to Food means that food should not only be available and accessible, it should also be adequate and nutritious.
Cllr Brown’s motion, which was passed with cross party support, urges the chief executive to include the right in the Council Plan.
The motion pledges to promote existing community food networks and write to MPs urging them to tackle the poverty effecting 10,799 children in Cumberland.
Cllr Brown said: “This Right to Food motion means the beginning of the end in Cumberland, the end to foodbanks and people relying on charities to be able to eat, the end to people being given out of date supermarket food in food parcels just because they need help.
“It’ll be the end to having our hearts broken when we visit local youth clubs like we did this week, they had 22 hungry children in one session.”
Councillor Brian Wernham spoke for the Lib Dems supporting the motion and urging councillors to do the same.
Green Party councillor, Helen Davison said: “I found it really upsetting when our chancellor actually said, in discussing budgets and supporting people something like ‘we can’t help everybody’ and I think we need to challenge that at every step of the way.
Leader of the Labour controlled council Mark Fryer said: “The statistics cited are shameful, it’s a town the size of Maryport, it’s two of our wards. The wards are roundabout 4,500 people to 5,000.”
Cllr Fryer said that the long-term solution will come from Central Government but that local government can play its part.
“We can play our part in how we support local producers and farmers, in how we set up our health committees and most importantly in the way we work with our health partners.”