Ed Davey demands action on soaring food prices during Bedfordshire visit

EMBARGO: 00:01 Wednesday 23rd August

• Ed Davey calls for action as cost of typical weekly shop soars by 37% in two years

• Lib Dem Leader makes third visit to Mid Bedfordshire since Nadine Dorries announced she’d resign - he will visit high street shops and a bakery in Ampthill

• Lib Dems are the bookies’ favourite to take the seat in upcoming by-election

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will today (Wednesday 23rd August) call for action to tackle soaring food prices on a campaign visit to Mid Bedfordshire.

Ed Davey will be visiting a local high street in Ampthill, speaking to local high street businesses who are being impacted by the government’s failure to support them with soaring energy prices, marking his third visit to the area since Nadine Dorries announced she would resign.

It comes as analysis by the Liberal Democrats reveals that the cost of a typical weekly shop has rocketed by 37% in the past two years.

These price hikes have added an eye-watering £870 a year to a typical family’s food shopping bill, as the cost of staple goods goes through the roof.

The average price of a loaf of bread has gone up by 37p (31%), a pint of milk is up 24p (57%) and 500g of cheddar cheese is up by £1.70 (55%).

The Liberal Democrats have set out a four-point plan to bring down food prices for families, including investing more in British farms, cutting energy bills for food businesses and expanding free school meals.

Liberal Democrat candidate and local councillor Emma Holland-Lindsay is the bookies’ favourite to win the upcoming Mid Bedfordshire by-election. It comes after the party’s string of recent by-election wins, including achieving an 29% swing in Somerton and Frome,  enough to comfortably overturn the Conservative majority in Mid Bedfordshire.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

“Families and pensioners in Mid Bedfordshire are suffering badly from soaring food prices as the cost of the weekly shop goes through the roof, but Nadine Dorries and Rishi Sunak are missing in action.

“Instead of helping, this Conservative government has made this cost of living crisis worse with all their constant chaos. Local people are understandably furious that they are being so badly let down by an absent MP and an out-of-touch Conservative government. 

“Meanwhile, local farmers in Bedfordshire and across the country are seeing their support slashed and energy prices spike.

“That’s why more and more people in Mid Bedfordshire are rallying behind our fantastic candidate Emma Holland-Lindsay, who will be the proper local champion that communities in Mid Bedfordshire deserve.” 

Liberal Democrat candidate for Mid Bedfordshire Cllr Emma Holland-Lindsay said:

“I’ve spoken to countless local families who are worried sick about soaring food prices, spiralling mortgages and rents, and not being able to get a GP appointment. 

“Bedfordshire is blessed with fantastic local high streets full of independent shops, but they need help to get through these difficult times. 

“As our next local MP, I would bang the drum tirelessly for families and businesses in Mid Bedfordshire who are fed up with being taken for granted by the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats have got a clear plan to get food prices under control, back our local farmers and expand free school meals.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor

Liberal Democrat analysis of ONS figures, showing the impact on a typical shopping basket can be found here.

The Office for National Statistics’ CPI detailed index for food is here, showing all food items have risen by 30% over the last two years.

Bookies odds for Mid Bedfordshire by-election here.

The Liberal Democrats four  point plan to protect shoppers:

1. Investing an extra billion pounds in British farms: We should be supporting our farmers to boost the UK’s environmentally-friendly and sustainable food supply. Starting by targeting support at shortage areas, we can protect ourselves from import shocks, put more good-quality food on the shelves, and bring down prices for the long term.

2. Cut energy bills for farms and businesses: In April, the Government cut energy support for businesses by 85%, forcing farmers and shops to raise their prices. We’d put that support back in place, cutting costs for producers and retailers. And in the meantime, the Government should ensure that energy-intensive farms qualify for extra support.

3. Let our farmers and fishers recruit the staff they need: The Government’s unfair visa rules have left our farmers and fishers producing less food because they can’t recruit enough workers. Tonnes of fruit and veg has gone to waste as a result. The Government must fix its broken visa system which is holding back our food supply, by scrapping arbitrary salary thresholds. 

4. Free school meals for every child in poverty: Unfair rules put in place by the Conservatives in 2018 have excluded 800,000 children growing up in poverty from Free School Meals – and another 200,000 eligible children are missing out because they’re not registered. The Government must immediately end this injustice by scrapping the arbitrary household income threshold, and automatically enrolling every eligible child.