I was really pleased to help support local Tesco store on Causewayside in their drive to help those in need with their food drive in partnership with FareShare UK.

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Glad to help @FareShareUK collect @CausewaysideExp with store manager @rosscollins26 and star collector June. pic.twitter.com/uHkgHv8VSc

– Ian Murray (@IanMurrayMP) July 3, 2015

It’s a scheme where Tesco encourages shoppers to buy an extra item or two to donate to a food bank, which Tesco then adds up, and then tops this up by 30% as well as donating surplus food. So it’s vitally important to many families here in Edinburgh.

But quite frankly, we shouldn’t need to organise these food drives in 2015. Too many families struggle to put food on the table. Households and families are increasingly turning to food banks as a last resort because of the Government’s austerity measures. Most of the people using foodbanks have been sanctioned by the Department for Work and Pensions and I pressed the Secretary of State for Scotland in Parliament to implement a full review of the sanctions regime. No one should be forced to depend on charity to put food on the table for their children.

However, none of that should detract from the excellent work of FareShare UK and Tesco and their staff like Ross and June. Thanks to them for all their efforts.