Midlands charity workers protest the Tory Party Conference
They are demanding action on food poverty
Last updated 3rd Oct 2023
Charity workers from the Midlands are up north today to protest the Conservative Party Conference and demand action on food poverty.
Organisation Fareshare, with bases across the West Midlands, are among those outside the gathering of Conservative Party members in Manchester City Centre.
The food redistribution charity are asking the government to intervene and get surplus food to those in serious need.
They say that while one in five people are in food poverty, 3 million tonnes of food goes to waste on UK farms every year.
Fareshare Midlands currently support 67,000 vulnerable people every week with food they may not otherwise have been able to afford.
The charity tells us the Conservatives need to step in, as their waiting lists are longer than ever and families are going hungry.
Ben Ashmore from the charity said:
"Millions of tonnes of food is going to waste across the UK at the same time as people are struggling and don't know where their next meal is coming from.
"So today us, and charities that receive food from us, are calling on the government to stand up and help get more food to those that need it.
"We're asking the government - where's the food? When there's so much going to waste and so many people struggling it is not right.
"More and more people are coming to us, this is people in work, full-time people, this is now one of the biggest groups that need support from us.
"It is an outrage that this is happening today."
A UK Government spokesperson said:
"We're leading the global effort against food waste, aiming to cut it in half by 2030.
“We continue to support WRAP in helping businesses reduce waste and, to date, have provided nearly £13 million to groups like FareShare to get surplus food to those who need it.
“Together, this action will help drive down the levels of food unnecessarily going to waste.”