Children will go ‘ill-clad and hungry’ this winter if cost-of-living crisis not tackled, Gordon Brown warns

Former prime minister says there is ‘no doubt people will go hungry in October’

Gordon Brown has warned that children will be forced to attend school “ill-clad and undernourished” if the government does not act now to support people through the cost-of-living crisis.

The former Labour prime minister urged the government to prioritise putting foward a fresh package of support for families before the winter arrives “no matter what’s happening in the leadership programme”.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Brown warned there is “no doubt people will go hungry in October” – adding that if the government was to leave its intervention until November or December, “pensioners will have to choose between feeding their gas meters or feeding themselves”.