UK govt seeks to stop foodbanks getting assistance from the EU

[edam]

The Tories really are despicable sometimes, aren't they? Admittedly this is from the Labour party's MEPs but the essential fact is Tory govt. is planning to stop UK foodbanks getting EU funding.

As if it's not bad enough that one of the richest countries in the world - us - has people so desperate they are relying on food banks to survive...

'Cameron's Crumbs' Leaving UK Foodbanks Starving say Labour MEPs

A crucial European Parliament vote tomorrow (Wednesday 12 June) aimed at providing a massive cash boost for the UK's starving foodbanks is threatened with a UK Conservative veto, Labour MEPs have warned.

The £2 billion EU fund to tackle food deprivation is targeted at easing the burden on foodbanks and charities across the UK and Europe, currently stretched to breaking point in their work supplying food aid and basic material assistance.

Labour Spokesperson Richard Howitt MEP pledged the party's MEPs will vote in favour of a plea to back the fund from UK's FareShare, who supply food to 900 organisations including homelessness and domestic violence shelters, the Salvation Army as well as a network of foodbanks.

Labour is accusing Conservatives of hypocrisy by saying they oppose the aid by saying national governments not Europe should provide the aid, despite having no intention to do so in Britain.

Richard Howitt MEP says the reality is that if unused in the UK, this cash may be re-distributed to other EU States in a "use it or lose it" arrangement.

The vote comes as half a million people in the UK are relying on emergency food aid to fend off starvation, and over a third of those are children. Three new foodbanks are opening every week in the UK.

Speaking in the parliamentary debate in advance of the vote, Labour's Richard Howitt MEP said:

"The organisation responsible for giving 40,000 people emergency food supplies a day across Britain is desperate for this EU help to boost their efforts, yet David Cameron is intent on denying them even crumbs off the table.

"The Tories have said that the UK will not draw cash from this fund for purely ideological reasons, but in doing so they are playing politics with people's pantries.

"If all the major brands and retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda can commit to FareShare to ensure good food isn't wasted, the British Government must not waste this opportunity to do so too.

"Today Labour MEPs are saying the Government must put ideology aside and use this fund to feed the most hungry and deprived in our society."

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Do you have a link OP?

[edam]

I got a press release, hasn't happened yet - vote tomorrow. Clearly the Tories have instructed their guys to vote against. It's The Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, vote in the European Parliament on Wednesday 12 June at approximately 12.30pm CET (11.30am UK-time).

[PatPig]

Isn't the Eu responsible for a lot of food poverty through the Common Agricultural Policy.

Am very dubious about the facts of this.

[cory]

The problem here is hardly the kind of food poverty caused by an agricultural policy, is it, PatPig?

[scaevola]

There are several links on google to Labour stating the Tory position, but none that I could find stating a Tory position.

Does anyone know what the Tories are saying on this?

[claig]

scaevola, I think it is all about subsidiarity.

BY EU law, I think national governments should have responsibility unless it is for an issue that can only be done at EU level.

Maybe this is a matter of precedent, and maybe it is about not eroding the principle of subsidiarity which could lead to more power to a centralised EU body over local national bodies.

[ParsingFancy]

Wow.

This is the same David Cameron who stood up in Parliament in December and described food banks as part of his "Big Society"?

[ParsingFancy]

So this is happening today? Will we get reporting on what has actually happened, rather than press releases?

[claig]

www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pressroom/content/20130607IPR11386/html/EU-must-maintain-%E2%82%AC3.5-billion-aid-to-its-most-deprived-citizens-MEPs-say

[edam]

"A majority of MEPs voted in favour of making participation in the Fund mandatory. This means that if a member state decides not to make use of the fund, the budget should remain available for the most deprived citizens. However, a large minority MEPs argued that member states' participation should be voluntary."

From Claig's link. Also says there's a delay for negotiations. So far it looks as if Tory MEPs haven't managed to exempt the UK, which is good. Not entirely clear whether that means the money will be available to UK food banks to draw on, though.

[flatpackhamster]

Edam, I think it's particularly lazy of you to attempt to smear this on 'Evul Torays'. Claig is absolutely correct. Since when was it the job of the EU to take taxpayers' money and dole it out to the poor, and since when were they better placed to decide who needs the money and to do it than elected national governments?

I know that Labour worked hard during their tenure to eradicate any and all elements of democratic representation in the UK but there are still a few people who hold sovereignty and liberty dear.

[NiceTabard]

I simply don't understand what the possible motivation would be to block this.

Well unless it's some kind of "punishment" for poor people. Which, knowing the tories, is more than possible.

[scaevola]

If you look at the measures, it's not lust food banks. It's a found to ease deprivation in Eurpoe, and it's by now means clear whether any Britons would actually qualify at present.

Which size budget was voted through - I think the proposals were for either ?2.5bil or ?3.5bil.

[scaevola]

Much as I am intrigued by "lust food banks", I meant to type 'just'

[edam]

flatpack, you seem very aggressive. I merely posted about something I'd come across that looked worrying.

And at least I can spell Tory...

[flatpackhamster]

NiceTabard

I simply don't understand what the possible motivation would be to block this.

An analogy - imagine if the government in Westminster decided how many police officers each county council should operate.

That's what we have here. Not the principle that governments shouldn't support food banks, but the issue that the EU is inveigling itself in to a process in which it has no jurisdiction.


edam
flatpack, you seem very aggressive. I merely posted about something I'd come across that looked worrying.

Did you? That was all you 'merely' did, was it? Apart from describing Tories as 'despicable', of course. That seems awfully aggressive of you.

And at least I can spell Tory...

Jesus wept.

[claig]

Here is a House of Lords report on something to do with it.
It looks like it is to do with the principle of subsidiarity.

"We share the Commission?s concerns about EU citizens suffering from
deprivation, and recognise the negative impact of the economic crisis.

However, this report focuses on whether the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived satisfies the principle of subsidiarity. This principle provides that, in policy areas which do not fall within the exclusive competence of the European Union, but where competence is shared with the Member States, the Union can act ?only if and insofar as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States?.

We have come to the conclusion that the proposal is inconsistent with the principle."

www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldselect/ldeucom/87/87.pdf

[PatPig]

I think we should give Edam some sort of prize, for starting a thread with the words "The Tories really are despicable sometimes, aren't they?" and then getting affronted when less strident words were spoken about the opposition party.

Really.

[claig]

Edam is a very good poster and at first view this could easily have looked like uncaring Tories.

The Labour MEPS with
'Cameron's Crumbs' Leaving UK Foodbanks Starving say Labour MEPs
can easily give the impression that this is what it is about.

But it does look like there are legal principles behind the opposition to it. But it looks like it has passed anyway and that the majority of MEPs passed it.

[PatPig]

I think there is a basic problem that we don't necessarily want the EU to spend our money, because there isn't convincing evidence that they are better at it than we are.

So as a matter of principle, opposing EU spending seems like a good idea, because it gives us greater control over our own.

[claig]

I think you are right, PatPig.

We can hold our own members of parliament to account for the money they spend, but we have very little say about what the EU chooses to do with our money.

Subsidiarity is an important principle, since it maintains some of our sovereignty and means that we can hold our elected officials to account.

[edam]

Patpig, please stop making stuff up. I didn't 'get offended' because someone said something about the Labour party. I've no idea what you are talking about but it clearly isn't anything I have actually said.

Claig and I are often on different sides of a political debate, but we manage without attacking each other. Something you could learn from, Patpig.

[NiceTabard]

No

the problem (as shown in the quotes)

is that the tories don't want the embarrassment of the EU spending some of it's budget for supporting people in poverty, on the UK.

They will stop it as it is embarrassing for them
Even if it means depriving charities of monies that would assist with people in poverty.

Tories have their reputation to uphold, you know.

[Redbindy]

NiceTabard; we all know the Tories are scum. However the EU budget for supporting people in poverty is money that they have extracted from member nations. It would be far more efficient to withhold payments to the EU, and spend the money directly on helping our own citizens.

[NiceTabard]

But the tories wont spend it directly on helping their own citizens

Not the same ones anyway. That goes against their entire philosophy.

The argument isn't about what we pay / don't pay to europe. If we don't take the money it will be reallocated amongst the countries who need it. So cutting off nose to spite face?

Or punishing the poor?

Either way, not good, not good at all.