A general election campaign always brings with it a tussle of ideas about the future of the country. Tackling soaring hunger and hardship across the UK and building a future where no one needs a food bank should be at the heart of this debate.

More than 3.1m emergency food parcels were distributed by food banks in the Trussell Trust network during 2023-24, with more than 1.1m of these parcels going to children. This is a record high and nearly double the number compared to five years ago.