London Labour Councils block soup kitchens ban

London’s Labour Councils today welcomed the decision to drop proposals that would have outlawed soup kitchens from operating, following a heated debate at London Councils’ Leaders’ Committee on Tuesday 13 November.

The proposal, tabled by Westminster Council, would have given new powers allowing boroughs to prohibit soup kitchens from operating in certain areas. But London Councils’ Labour Leaders firmly opposed the plan, expressing concern that London’s most vulnerable citizens would be harmed by the measure.  

Labour borough leaders also questioned how Westminster’s proposal supported the recent Conservative Party report, Roughly Sleeping, published earlier this month. Tory Housing spokesperson Grant Shapps claimed that there is a higher number of rough sleepers than official figures recognise and that rather than cutting services, it was time to “put measures in place to work with charities and other support services” to help the homeless.

Cllr Clyde Loakes, Leader of Waltham Forest said:

“London’s soup kitchens provide vital support to many of our most vulnerable people and it would have been completely unacceptable for this measure to have been passed.

“Many community groups and charities who distribute free food shared our view that this is a heavy handed and inhumane approach to working with soup runs, particularly in the run up to Christmas.

“If David Cameron really shares our view that we need to support rough sleepers, maybe he should speak to Council leaders on Parliament’s own front door.”

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