Free food banned in london
Nov 7 2007
I can't really think of much else to say than that the council are just an aboslute bunch of utter cunts. I mean ffs what are they going to do have the police apprehend you for giving a man a sandwich? Fine you if it gets caught on cctv? I'd genuinely like to ee them try and enforce this law tbh.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.1804064.0.fight_for_soup_kitchens.php
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7063914.stm
Nov 7 2007
#2
It's discusting, the people who came up with this idea should be strung up and clubbed.
Nov 7 2007
#3
The London Coalition Against Poverty are campaigning around this. I think this should be a winnable one. If the worst happens and it goes ahead, a mass campaign would effectively make it unworkable.
Nov 7 2007
#4
Westminster Council seem to try this regularly -- I remember it being in the news a while back. Perhaps they just like looking like miserable cunts in the run-up to Christmas.
Nov 7 2007
#5
my lady works for a homeless charity and they're up in arms about it at the moment.
Nov 7 2007
#6
I eagerly await some fnb stuntists jumping on this issue until they get distracted by something else and move on.
Nov 8 2007
#7
Could they start charging token amounts for the food or would that cause problems too?
Nov 9 2007
#8
jef costello wrote:
Could they start charging token amounts for the food or would that cause problems too?
Personally I'd be more inclined towards fighting it. Good to see LCAP on the case.
Nov 9 2007
#9
Alan wrote:
Personally I'd be more inclined towards fighting it. Good to see LCAP on the case.
ideally yes, but that depends on the people running the soup kitchens and the resources of LCAP.
Nov 9 2007
#10
LCAP has pledged to defy the ban if it comes in (which we can and will deliver on), and will support and encourage any similar pledge of defiance from other, more mainstream groups that we are in touch with (and Food Not Bombs), as things move on. The resources of LCAP basically consist of people, and of course the more there are the more we can do and the more effective we are likely to be - on this, on local community issues (Estates Plus, Summertown development near King's Cross), on housing and homelessness, and on stuff at work. Anyone in London reading these boards can be part of that. londoncoalitionagainstpoverty[AT]gmail.com.
I think charging token amounts is an interesting idea, but possibly dangerous, because you then move down the slippery slope where loopholes get closed gradually one by one, and broad opposition never gets its moment.
Nov 9 2007
#11
posi wrote:
I think charging token amounts is an interesting idea, but possibly dangerous, because you then move down the slippery slope where loopholes get closed gradually one by one, and broad opposition never gets its moment.
I'm sure selling food is very regulated, necessary for H&S, etc. Best just defy it.
Nov 9 2007
#12
Westminister council is insane though.
Nov 9 2007
#13
I think charging for the food is crazy, even if it's just a token amount... As far as I'm concerned I'd rather see homeless folk and junkies etc eat a good meal for free rather than have to see them have to make a decision as to whether to save a couple of pence or whatever for food or put that money towards getting some more booze or a hit of their drug of choice. I'm confident that many would choose the latter making them even more vulnerable. Plus, is there any sort of outreach happening with this free grub? If so, maybe people wouldn't be so open to these kinds of approaches if they had to pay for the privilege.
all the best
gregg
Nov 10 2007
#14
I think the idea was to charge 1p a cup (and adequate supplies of 1ps could be supplied not far away) to get through the loophole. But like posi points out, this would very easily lead to an ever tightening loop, and as John. points out, it could lead to prosecution under food regulations.
Nov 10 2007
#15
I'll just shut the fuck up then... 
Nov 11 2007
#16
Some folks doing a symbolic action
Dear all,
As you might know, London Councils are to submit a private Bill to Parliament which would ban all soupruns throughout London. The Simon Community has therefore decided to make itself and souprun users calmly and peacefully visible with a special tearun at the London Council offices in the morning of 13 November - the day when the 33 London Council leaders decide about the Bill.
The aims are a) to show that soup/tearuns are not a form of 'anti-social behaviour' but instead a simple way of providing a crucial service to homeless people, and b) to inform the council leaders and others about the need for soupruns via leaflets and chats.
It'd be great if you could join! Assemble at 9.15 am at London Councils Offices, 59 1/2 Southwark Street (at the crossing with Southwark Bridge Road).
Nov 12 2007
#17
Quote:
Unlawful distribution of free food would be an offence, and would be liable on summary conviction to a fine."Exemptions would be included, for example, the distribution of refreshments to people taking part in sporting events or giving out free samples outside retail premises.
if the bill does get passed, rather than try and get round the problem by nominal charging, which would lead to the problems already highlighted - the exemptions clause (designed to allow private enterprises to continue to give away free 'tasters') seems to me to provide the best opportunity to subvert it
Nov 17 2007
#18
proposal to ban it has been scrapped (for now)
Nov 17 2007
#19
Apart from the Simon Community demo, apparently Ken Livingstone went along to the meeting and told them he thought it was a disgusting proposal, or words to that effect.
This sounds like a novel way to move homeless people out of the city... set and forget. Reminds me of this http://www.banksy.co.uk/cuttings/index_08.html . In Brisbane there was/is a mobile van called Rosie's who used to stop at a few places in the CBD and hand out food to streeties. This was banned from the CBD as part of a campaign to 'clean up' the image of the city. Funny how they mention that handing out food is not going to solve the problems... yeah it's a bandaid, but it's also highlighting the failures of the cocks in the councils and govts that have and continue to fail... that's the real issue.
all the best.
gregg.