Oldham councillor supports affordable food for all campaign

Cllr Howard Sykes MBE, has expressed his support for a petition started by Which? that says more support is needed as food prices continue to increase.

Which?'s latest research found more than eight in 10 people in the UK are making adjustments in the way they shop to save money on food amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The most common changes are looking out for food on promotion deals or making swaps to cheaper alternatives.

But among those who said they are struggling the most financially, half said that their household is skipping meals.

The campaign group has set out 10 action points to call on leading supermarkets to provide better support to help people.

Cllr Sykes said: "More and more people across Oldham borough are simply unable to cope with the rising cost of food.

"Food bank usage is skyrocketing and we're even seeing schools making cuts to school meal budgets.

"This is shameful in a developed country and the government is refusing to offer meaningful support."

The former council leader also said big supermarkets "can and must do more" to improve the availability of healthy and affordable food.

Among the action points made by Which? include making clearer price comparisons to ensure people can work out whether they are getting the best deal.

It also said supermarkets must provide a basic range of essential budget lines for affordable and healthy items in locations where people most need support and should consider adapting minimum spend requirements for online deliveries to be more cost-effective for households in areas with poor supermarket access.

Which? pointed out that multi-buy offers often require a bigger initial spend and may lead to more food waste as well as make it difficult to eat healthily. 

It called on supermarket giants to extend its promotions to fruit and vegetables.

The government has previously said is providing support to vulnerable families across the UK amid the financial crisis.