The British resort on the English Channel, known since Victorian times – the city of Eastbourne, may be the first city in the UK to declare a state of emergency (EM) and introduce a living wage due to hunger. And such an extraordinary situation has arisen in a popular resort town, where, it would seem, money for vacationers can be made literally from the air … This information was published by the British Independent.
The city set a disappointing record for a record number of residents who sought help from food banks to survive. Last year, the newspaper writes, Eastbourne Foodbank issued 17,440 emergency food kits per 100,000 people, which is the highest figure in the UK. And this year the situation is unlikely to improve, says city council member Josh Babarinde. He is confident that declaring a state of emergency will help Eastbourne City Council work effectively with charities.
The fact is that the population of the resort, “built by gentlemen for gentlemen” in the 60s of the XIX century, at the age of XXI is rapidly aging. And the “city of the elderly” is facing all economic problems. According to the mayor, many elderly people are forced to choose between food and bills due to electricity bills, as a result they are left without “their only interlocutor” – TV.
This decision should be an “alarm bell” for Boris Johnson’s government. Urgent measures are needed by the authorities – they must understand that this crisis has become an emergency due to our inaction,” said the mayor.