Message to the next Tory leader from this Merseyside street kitchen

Hope for the Hungry has been hailed as a ‘lifeline’ by vulnerable people in Birkenhead, many of whom say they would be dead without it.

The group provides hot food and drink to rough sleepers and others in the town who are down on their luck.

Volunteers say demand has increased massively since they opened in 2016 – and figures published by Wirral Council this week suggest hardship is steadily on the rise.

A report on Homeless services in the Borough has revealed rough sleeping has increased by 100% since 2015.

It said in 2018/19, overall demand for homeless services increased in Wirral, with the Council’s Housing Options Team seeing a 17% increase in footfall from the previous year.

We spoke to people using the Hope for Hungry service who said while they were grateful for volunteer organisations, the government should do more to get people out of poverty.

And in light of the on-going leadership contest between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, many had strong words for whoever will become the next Tory Prime Minister, if they are listening.

John Johnson, 19, said: “It shouldn’t be like this, mostly all the people here are on Universal Credit. Some people rely on this service because they can’t afford food. They’re spending their money on gas and electric just to survive.

“I myself used to work two jobs, ever since I lost them and signed onto universal credit, I rely on this as well as other places like food banks.

“We don’t see political people in this area, they only come round during election time or when there is an event.”

John was one of many who felt politicians were oblivious to the true hardship they face.

Gordan Smith, 42, said: “He [Boris Johnson] needs to act on things [if he wins]. Poverty is going on, it’s happening, it’s all around, without these people doing this with their time.. this shouldn’t be their job to do. I think politicians are ignorant what is going on, as long as they’re alright they’re not bothered. ”

And another man, who wanted to be known only as Jim, said he would like to see the government introduce bolder strategies, such as a requirement for big companies and supermarkets to donate surplus food to charities and foodbanks.

Brexit has dominated the Tory leadership race, with rivals Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson yet to outline how they would tackle issues such as homelessness.

160,000 Tory members will begin voting next week and the winner is expected to be announced on 23 July – with former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson widely expected to win.

Tony Norbury, Labour Councillor for Birkenhead and Prenton, had tough words for the PM frontrunner when he visited Hope for the Hungry last week.

Blaming ‘austerity and the Tory government’ on the rise in Birkehead’s rough sleeping problem he said: “We are moving into a situation where we are going to have an unelected Tory leader taking over from another unelected Tory leader.

“We don’t see anything on the horizon that is going to change those policies of austerity.

“While they are driving people in Birkenhead into feeding off foodbanks, we are calling for a general election right now. We need a stable party leader who is going to have policies for the many and not the few that’s the only way out of this I can see. ”

Taking aim at controversial comments published in The Spectator news paper when it was edited by Mr Johnson, he warned austerity policies would soon come back to bite the Conservative party.

He said: “Boris Johnson has been to Merseyside before and called us pity seekers. Well it’s the pity that his government are reigning down on the people of Birkenhead, and I pity him and his government if they call a general election because there’d only be one winner in that and it would be a Labour party government with a manifesto for the many.”

“Birkenhead is a beautiful place, but it can become a better place if you remove those chains of austerity.”

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt’s offices have been contacted for comment.