UK is seeing ‘food poverty for first time in a generation’

The UK is seeing “real food poverty for the first time in a generation”, Tesco chairman John Allan said today (10).

Allen said that many of the supermarket chain’s customers are struggling to both heat their homes and feed their families, with inflation being their number one worry.

More and more are resorting to food banks, including people who never had to use a food bank before.

Allan also criticised recent tax increases such as the rise in national insurance.

“Frankly, if I’d been the chancellor, which is an extremely unlikely event, I wouldn’t have done it.

Allan has also called for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies.

“I think there’s an overwhelming case for a windfall tax on profits from those energy producers, fed back to those most in need of help. That’s the single biggest thing I think could be done,” Allan told the BBC’s Today Programme.

Allan added that his personal view is energy companies “are expecting it and I doubt they would actually be much phased by it”.

Allan also revealed how he visited a Tesco store over the weekend, and heard people telling checkout staff to stop scanning products when the bill reached a certain amount, such as £40, adding that it is a sign of just how stretched some families are.

“A lot of people are feeling something of a pinch, and lots of people are actually feeling extremely stretched,” he said.