Food Banks

Debate between Gerald Kaufman and Angus Brendan MacNeil

Wednesday 18th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Sir Gerald Kaufman]

My constituents who are going hungry do not study the foreign affairs pages. They want to know why, after three and a half years of this appalling Government, they have got no food, so the hon. Gentleman should not make silly and useless debating points.

The Salvation Army has sent around an appeal stating:

“In the present economic climate, many families will struggle to feed and clothe their children, let alone afford presents and treats.”

[Mr Angus Brendan MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)]

Is the right hon. Gentleman not detailing the symptoms of the massive inequality in our society? Professors Stiglitz and Krugman have detailed how the gains of productivity have gone to the top 1%. We are living in the fourth most unequal society in the OECD. Successive UK Governments have failed to address that, which is one reason why I want Scottish independence, but that argument is for another day. What he is seeing in his constituency is the result of the massive inequality that blights society.

[Sir Gerald Kaufman]

The hon. Gentleman is of course absolutely right.

The information provided for me by Tesco, which is conducting food banks in my constituency, tells the whole story. It refers to

“Tesco’s third National Food Collection”,

which means that within this Government’s period in office it has started to help to address food poverty, and to

“32,000 thousand shopping trolleys…the equivalent of 4.3 million meals.”

That is Britain today.

Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

Debate between Gerald Kaufman and Angus Brendan MacNeil

Wednesday 16th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Sir Gerald Kaufman]

I will give way in a moment, but I want to proceed on this point.

When I was shadow Home Secretary, I negotiated with the then Conservative Home Secretary, Leon Brittan, about a Representation of the People Bill—that is what Bills dealing with the political system and elections in this country used to be called— which he was introducing. The dog’s breakfast that is before us this evening is a misrepresentation of the people Bill, based on an obligation to placate the self-interest of the third party in the House. There is no doubt whatever about that.

[Mr MacNeil]

rose—

[Sir Gerald Kaufman]

I will give way in a moment, but I want to complete this segment of my argument, taking into account the limited time.

This is a partisan Bill. All the Representation of the People Bills that went through the House of Commons, from when I first entered the House, were agreed between the Government and the Opposition—I negotiated with Leon Brittan even down to the threshold for retaining a deposit—but not now. The Conservatives do not want the Bill. We are dealing not with the question of whether we are for or against the alternative vote; we are dealing with the question of whether a fundamental aspect of our British political system should be decided not on its principles, or on whether it is appropriate and admirable for the country, but on whether it suits the interests of a minority party, which wants to go on having coalitions, as that is the only way in which its useless Members would be able to sit on the Government Front Bench.

[Mr MacNeil]

The right hon. Gentleman referred to rigged referendums, but would a threshold not rig a referendum by blocking a change that the majority of those taking part wanted?

[Sir Gerald Kaufman]

I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point, but I do not necessarily agree with him.