Westminster 'scrooges' forced to back-down » Local Government » 24dash.com

Controversial proposals to ban charities and voluntary organisations from giving out free food to homeless men, women and children in the run-up to Christmas have been dropped after pressure from several homeless charities, London Assembly Members and the Mayor of London.

Westminster Council were seeking powers under the London Local Authorities Bill to ban the "distribution of free refreshments" in public and specifically targeted "organisations wishing to assist the homeless". But in the face of widespread opposition from Labour-led councils, they were forced to abandon their unpopular plans.

London Assembly Member Murad Qureshi, who earlier this week described the plan as one "Ebenezer Scrooge himself would have been proud of", today welcomed the announcement.

"Faced with near-universal opposition from the Mayor, a number of London boroughs and several homeless charities, I'm not surprised Westminster have been forced to abandon their plans. I don't know who they thought would support taking food from the homeless so near to Christmas. I think Scrooge himself might have had difficulties justifying that!"

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