Gloria calls for action on food prices

Food prices have soared by 30% in the last two years, the biggest rise on record, according to Liberal Democrat analysis of new official statistics.

The 30% two-year rise in the Office for National Statistics’ index of food prices between July 2021 and last month dwarfs the previous record of 19.3% between February 2007 and February 2009, at the height of the financial crisis.

The average price of a loaf of bread has gone up by 52p (27%) in the last two years, while a pint of milk is up 24p (57%), according to ONS figures.

Gloria Adebo, Liberal Democrat candidate for Rutherglen & Hamilton West in the forthcoming by election, has made tackling the cost of living the heart of her campaign.

Gloria said:

“These price rises on basic things like bread and milk quite literally take food out of the mouths of local families. A report this week to South Lanarkshire Council’s Executive Committee identified the number of people having to be helped in 2022-3 in South Lanarkshire under the Council’s Cost of Living Support initiatives, including:

• 4250 families getting help from the Financial Wellbeing Support Fund
• 8,000 vouchers issued under the Energy Voucher Scheme
• 1,035 cases opened for advice by the Council’s energy advisers
• 12,324 clients receiving debt advice from Money Matters Advice Service
•  57,709 people supported through foodbanks

These are horrendous figures which mark a profound failure to protect families from the cost of living crisis and the rise in food prices. We need an urgent plan and action by the Government to tackle rising food prices. The Government should be standing up for struggling families and pensioners hammered by soaring food prices.

It is time to stop the scandal of food banks and people struggling to pay their weekly shopping bill.

The Government need to continue and ramp up their support for families worst hit by the cost of living crisis. Liberal Democrats also want to see the United Kingdom breaking down trade barriers with Europe caused by the Conservative Government’s disastrous Brexit and cutting unnecessary red tape, particularly on food; investing in British farmers to help put more good quality food on the table; restoring energy support for farmers to help cut food costs.”

Notes to Editors:

The Office for National Statistics’ CPI detailed index for food is here. It has risen from 102.9 in July 2021 to 133.4 in July 2023. (2015 = 100)