A FOOD justice champion should be appointed to Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet, says Labour's Paul Dixon.

Councillor Dixon has put forward a motion to be debated at this evening’s full council meeting which, if approved, would see one member of the Conservative cabinet be responsible for tackling food poverty.

“With the number of food parcels being handed out rising by 88 per cent last year, it’s clear that we need to act now to tackle the causes of food poverty," said Coun Dixon. "As we’ve seen with the recent free school meals campaign, which Labour fully supported, tackling food poverty is an issue which I think a lot of people care about.

“There are many organisations in communities across Swindon that have done such great work since the start of the pandemic. This is about recognising this positive work and bringing them together to form a new food partnership.

“We’re calling for a new cabinet member to bring together community organisations and food banks to ensure we do everything we can to bring about food justice to people in Swindon. I hope the Conservatives will support this.”

The meeting starts at 7pm.