Advertisement
Christmas Special - Get your first 12 issues for just £12
SUBSCRIBE
Politics

Dear Keir Starmer – no one should be sleeping on cardboard under bridges in a country this rich

Big Issue vendor Matthew joined the Let's End Poverty Collation initiative to deliver letters from people at the sharp end of poverty to Keir Starmer to mark his hundredth day in office. This is Matthew's letter...

keir starmer labour leader

Image: Flickr/ Keir Starmer

Big Issue vendor Matthew Campbell has written a powerful letter to Keir Starmer in a bid to convince the prime minister to take action on the housing and poverty crises.

The London seller is one of 15 people living in poverty who penned an open letter to the PM ahead of this month’s budget and to mark Challenge Poverty Week this week.

Our man Matthew wrote about his experiences of homelessness and working for a decade in the construction industry as he let Starmer know his “frustration and anger at the state of housing in this country”.

He said: “The moral of the story is that no one should be sleeping on cardboard under bridges in a country this rich. We must have better housing provision. Your government needs to make the system work for all of us, prime minister.”

The Dear Prime Minister letters have been coordinated by Let’s End Poverty, a coalition campaign convened by the Methodist Church in Britain with supporting organisations including Trussell, Church Action on Poverty, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and UNISON.

Hannah Fremont-Brown, Let’s End Poverty coordinator, said: “Listening to people who know what it’s like to live in poverty is not just the right thing to do, it’s the best way to create solutions that really work for the long term.”

Advertisement
Advertisement

Digital copies of the Dear Prime Minister letters are available at letsendpoverty.co.uk/dearpm. Read Matthew’s letter to Keir Starmer in full below. You can learn more about Matthew here.

The Big Issue Vendor Matthew Campbell at Kennington Road Tescos, London

Dear prime minister,

I’m writing this letter to you to show my frustration and anger at the state of housing in this
country. If your government is going to bring down poverty, ending the housing crisis must
be a priority.

When I moved to my place, I was lucky to get an assured social housing tenancy. But now the
system has changed, and thousands of people are stranded in temporary accommodation,
or being evicted from social housing because they can’t keep up with the rents. We need more
social housing so everyone who needs it can have a roof over their head and be self-sufficient.

As someone who has worked in the construction industry for over 10 years, I know how
quickly housing can go up if there is the will for it. But all we build is luxury flats, so when
people find themselves in need of housing, there’s nothing for them. Gentrification
is capitalising on poverty.

No one expects to end up homeless. A lot of homelessness happens through evictions, family
breakdowns, or drinking and drug dependencies, so it can be incredibly hard to get out once
you’re in it. Homelessness is a spiral into poverty, and when you’re in the centre, you can’t see
the way out.

Access to housing is the first thing you need to get back onto your feet. But I want to see social
housing go further than that, and create self-sufficient communities where people can live
and earn. I want to see jobs available on your doorstep, where you can do work that helps you
and your neighbours. Things like tending allotments and community gardens; providing
nurseries for children; caring for elderly residents; and doing maintenance in the building.

This work would allow you to secure your own future, contribute to the cost of living, and give
back to your community.

There also needs to be more education on health care to help people break the spiral of
poverty. We need people to better understand the dangers of smoking and drinking, make
support available to help them quit and deal with relapses, and provide access to mental
health services.

The moral of the story is that no one should be sleeping on cardboard under bridges in a
country this rich. We must have better housing provision. Your government needs to make
the system work for all of us, prime minister.

Big Issue is demanding an end to extreme poverty. Will you ask your MP to join us?

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us moreBig Issue exists to give homeless and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income. To support our work buy a copy of the magazine or get the app from the App Store or Google Play.

Advertisement

Change a vendor's life this Christmas

This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.

Recommended for you

View all
'It could be catastrophic': Trump's misogyny resonated with young men – here's what it means for Brits
Donald Trump

'It could be catastrophic': Trump's misogyny resonated with young men – here's what it means for Brits

Labour must 'learn the lessons' of Donald Trump's election win – or face right-wing surge
US election

Labour must 'learn the lessons' of Donald Trump's election win – or face right-wing surge

'It could have been from Gordon Brown': Experts weigh in on how radical Labour's budget really is
Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares for the autumn budget 2024
Autumn budget

'It could have been from Gordon Brown': Experts weigh in on how radical Labour's budget really is

'We want a society that works for everyone': These millionaires want Rachel Reeves to tax them more
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been urged to extend rough sleeping funding to help homelessness services
Wealth tax

'We want a society that works for everyone': These millionaires want Rachel Reeves to tax them more

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know