Food banks help a government without empathy, writes Ulrich Jurgens, while David Dargue says that hunger in the UK is now widespread and John Robinson thinks politicians should face up to their responsibilities
Regarding your article (‘Why should anyone be hungry when there’s food that can be given away?’ The heroes feeding their neighbours, 23 May), every week, I drive a van and deliver food for a food bank. To some extent I think what I do is wrong. Beneficiaries of food banks are not only those who may get a week’s supply of food. First and foremost, food banks help a government without empathy, without a plan and without competence. Food banks support a government that works against its own people.
Supermarkets that have customers contributing to donation boxes benefit from additional sales. They also benefit as they get rid of some of their food items that are approaching the sell-by date, and which they would otherwise dump.
