A campaign launched in Liverpool aimed at ensuring everyone has a legal right to food has taken a huge step forward after being unanimously approved at the Labour Party conference.
The Right to Food campaign grew out of the Fans Supporting Foodbanks project, which began with the collection of items for city foodbanks at Liverpool and Everton home games.
That project was launched by friends Dave Kelly, Robbie Daniels and Ian Byrne, who is now the Member of Parliament for West Derby.
Read more: 'Scousers leading the way' with Right to Food campaign
Mr Byrne has partnered with Fans Supporting Foodbanks to launch the Right to Food campaign, which aims to make access to food a legal right for all and to see the Right to Food enshrined in law.
Liverpool Council was the first local authority to approve the Right to Food campaign, with many others across the country following suit.
But the motion passed in favour of the campaign at Labour's national conference in Brighton is the biggest moment yet for the campaign.
The motion at conference was moved and seconded by two city region Labour members, Michael Hardy of the Liverpool Walton Constituency Labour Party (CLP) and Luke Agnew of the Wallasey CLP.
The motion received a rousing response and was passed unanimously, with no one voting against.
Mr Byrne said he was thrilled to see the Right to Food passed and become party of the Labour Party's policy programme.
He told the ECHO: "I’m delighted that the Right to Food will now become a key part of Labour policy.
"It was as a proud moment for me personally has MP for Liverpool West Derby seeing the motion unanimously adopted without a single vote against and seeing how far our campaign has come in the last 2 years.
"I would like to thank Mike Hardy and Luke Agnew for their fantastic contributions in moving the motion and Walton and Wallasey CLPs for putting it forward to conference.
"I would like to thank the Bakers Union , Unite the Union, NEU, CWU & GMB for their unstinting support and welcome more trade unions who I held meetings with in Brighton to the movement.
"I would also like to thank all the councillors who have put the motions through towns and cities across the country supporting the campaign and our Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham & Manchester’s Andy Burnham for backing the campaign from the outset."
He added: "It’s a huge moment for the Fans Supporting Foodbank national network and everyone across the country who is backing this collective call for systemic change in fighting food poverty.
"The conference accepted we can no longer tinker around the edges of this humanitarian crisis in our communities adding sticking plasters.
"We now all have the job of fighting for the Right To Food to be enshrined in law. The 11 million people going hungry at this very moment cannot wait any longer and it’s a task I will tackle with relish to achieve our goal."
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
