Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer and Scottish First Minister John Swinney said they would offer to pay if they saw a struggling father stealing baby formula.
Top party leaders were asked by Big Issue whether they would intervene if they saw the situation in stores.
The hidden crisis of families struggling to afford baby formula was highlighted for the first time by a Sky News investigation last year.
February: Infant formula prices under scrutiny
This led to price cuts in supermarkets and a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into allegations that companies making baby formula were profiting at the expense of British parents.
Big Issue spoke to party leaders and pressed them on what they would do to help.
Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said they would highlight other cost of living support for a family struggling to afford baby formula.
“I would offer to pay,” said Sir Keir Starmer.
“The desperation of families across the country should make conservatives feel nothing but shame,” he added.
“It’s clear that shoplifting is a problem for businesses, so we would have 13,000 more neighborhood police officers to provide security on our main streets.
“But we would also change the rules so people can use food bank vouchers and loyalty card points to buy baby formula.”
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Sunak told the Big Issue: “Shoplifting is not a victimless crime and we will always support shopkeepers to prevent theft. At the same time, we will continue to help parents with the cost of living.”
Sir Ed said, “I would try and try to persuade [the parent] no, obviously. Try to find other help for them, that would be the best way to do it.”
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Swinney, the SNP leader, added: “I would quietly offer to pay as no parent should have to face this situation.
“Unfortunately, this is not hypothetical – I meet with my constituents and people across Scotland every week who are facing these types of difficulties.”
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Child feeding expert and founder of Feed UK, Dr Erin Williams, told Sky News: “I think it shows real empathy and one that I hope they understand… they can see how serious this is for some families.
“If Keir Starmer is to be at 10 Downing St soon, he will need to deliver on his promises quickly and work hard to stop parents finding themselves in these positions.
“We need a big political focus on the reasons why families face so much hardship…this includes benefits, job security and more.”
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Last fall, the World Health Organization told Sky News that UK families were being exploited due to the high prices set by powdered milk manufacturers.
Previously, manufacturers attributed 25% price increases to higher production costs and denied exploiting parents.
The CMA is currently examining allegations of speculation and is expected to release its findings later this year.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
