A Report From the Bristol Hardship Hustings

The crowd sitting and listening to candidates speak

After the recent General Election we wanted to take a moment to look back at some of the amazing work many supporters, volunteers, and staff members have put in to advocate for changes that would end the need for food banks.

“End Hunger Bristol” is part of the national Trussell Trust election campaign. As the three Bristol-based Trussell Trust food banks, we’re advocating for policy changes that would address poverty and food bank use across Bristol and South Gloucestershire. One of these policies is the Essentials Guarantee, which would aim to ensure Universal Credit covers people’s necessities, with amounts determined independently based on real living costs.

Key to this effort was the hardship hustings we held in Bristol North West and Bristol East constituencies on 21st and 25th June.

Why did we organise these hustings?

A hustings is a meeting that gives voters an opportunity to hear the views of election candidates and to ask them questions. It’s not set up to promote any particular candidate or party because they are all given equal opportunity to speak and be questioned.

So we arranged our two hustings to allow the public to question and hear from candidates about their plans to address the cost of living crisis, poverty, and food insecurity.

We invited all candidates we could find contact details for. In attendance were the following (in alphabetical order):

  • Bristol North West
    • Caroline Gooch, Liberal Democrats
    • Darren Jones, Labour Party
    • Mary Page, Green Party
  • Bristol East
    • Ani Stafford-townsend, Green Party
    • Dan Conaghan, Conservative Party
    • Kerry McCarthy, Labour Party
    • Tony Sutcliffe, Liberal Democrats
    • Wael Mustapha Arafat, Independent

Special thanks go to Suzanne Wilson and Cyril Babeev who chaired these hustings.

In all, about 70 people attended each event, including members of the public, candidates, volunteers, and staff.

Attendees and candidates listening to the chair of the North West Hustings, with candidates sitting behind a table
Bristol North West Hardship Hustings

What were some key questions posed by attendees?

Our attendees submitted so many amazing questions ahead of time, pushing the conversation forward. Among many more great questions, here are a sample:

I am a volunteer at Bristol Citizens Advice, and our national case evidence shows that millions of people’s incomes and outgoings don’t add up. A key issue that we pick up is the high debt repayment insisted on by the DWP. One in five universal credit claimants are subject to a deduction of more than 20% of their standard allowance, whereas the courts commonly set debt repayments at 5% if the claimant is on benefits. Whoever wins the ballot must tackle this head on. What do each of you and your parties plan to do?

I’m unable to work due to multiple disabilities and, like many other disabled people, hit particularly hard by the cost of living crisis. What changes to benefits like ESA, UC, and PIP would you push for to meet the needs of those in my position?

How will you make sure the refugees stuck in hotels are able to get on with building their lives here, and what are your plans for ending the trafficking and exploitation of asylum seekers?

What policy do you have to take care of improving food and farming to reduce the UK’s reliance on food imports?

I am the manager of a nursery in Eastville and a lot of our families are facing real housing crises. This includes evictions by private landlords, substandard temporary accommodation and being housed in hotels where there are no facilities to cook their own food. Can you tell me what your parties would plan to put in place to improve these situations?

Were there any standout moments or surprising insights during the discussions?

In Bristol North West, the Liberal Democrat and Green Party candidates strongly supported scrapping the two child benefit cap. The elected Labour MP, Darren Jones, supports the idea but noted that it could cost upwards of £3 billion to achieve, and therefore he couldn’t guarantee it.

None of the candidates in Bristol North West knew that the DWP can deduct up to 25% from people’s Universal Credit for debt repayments, despite it being one of the leading causes of continued food bank use. Each said they would report it back to their party. This may signify a lack of understanding about the ins and outs of the benefits system, but encouragingly, the three candidates in attendance showed an interest in learning about it. 

In Bristol East, the Labour, Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent candidates voiced their strong support for improved support for refugees, more and affordable housing, supporting the disabled, improving social security and improving public services, as well as the transport system. The Conservative candidate Dan Conaghan voiced his strong support for tackling gangs to lower the crime rate and spoke out against the Liveable Neighbourhoods scheme which is to be implemented by the local council in the next year.

Attendees and candidates listening to the chair of the North West Hustings, with candidates sitting behind a table
Bristol East Hardship Hustings

How did the candidates respond to these issues?

Essentials Guarantee in Bristol North West  – Mary Page (Green Party), Caroline Gooch (Liberal Democrat) and Darren Jones (Labour) all said that they would fully support the pledge and want to work together with the community to rectify the issue of people going without essentials.

Feedback from candidates was positive, and they appreciated the opportunity to speak in front of and to members of the community. Each candidate was very passionate about ending poverty and food bank use.

Essentials Guarantee in Bristol East  – Tony Sutcliffe (Liberal Democrats), Wael Mustapha Arafat (independent), Kerry McCarthy (Labour Party), and Ani Stafford-townsend (Green Party) said they would fully support the pledge. The Conservative candidate Dan Conaghan said he would do what he could.

What are the next steps for food banks following these hustings?

A group of people standing with drinks gathered around a table
Candidates, members of the public and food bank staff viewing the tablecloth featuring stories of hardship

Going forwards, we will continue to hold elected officials accountable for the promises they made during the campaign. And we will continue to advocate for policies that significantly reduce the need for food banks. This includes maintaining public pressure through ongoing campaigns, engaging with policymakers, and mobilising community support to ensure that the issue remains a priority.

Our goal is to build a future where no one needs a food bank to survive. We will also work to build partnerships across all levels of government and society to push for systemic changes that ensure everyone can afford the essentials.

How can supporters stay updated on the campaign’s progress and impact?

You can stay updated on our campaign’s progress and impact by following Bristol food banks on social media (links available in this website’s footer) for regular updates and news.

We’re planning to launch a campaign focussed newsletter soon, which you can subscribe to below. This will provide monthly updates on campaign developments, impact reports, and upcoming events.