Welfare experts call on Prime Minister Brown to prioritise ending child poverty

Child Poverty Action Group are today publishing a special edition of the journal Poverty in which experts on child welfare and poverty ask 'Where next for Gordon Brown? His first hundred days'. The contributors urge the new Prime Minister to place tackling child poverty and redressing inequalities in the UK at the forefront of the Government's agenda.

Kate Green, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said:

"It is shocking that as Brown takes office 3.8 million children are still living in poverty in the UK. The new Prime Minister must use his first hundred days to set out how the Government will deliver the resources needed to halve child poverty by 2010. He will be judged by voters on his ability to meet the Government's historic promise to end child poverty."

Hilary Fisher, Director of End Child Poverty, said:

"Brown's first days in office provide the opportunity to introduce fresh policies and inject new thinking, and to show he really is the children's anti-poverty champion."

 

Notes to Editors

• CPAG is a member of the Campaign to End Child Poverty
• Poverty: Journal of the Child Poverty Action Group is available from CPAG, 94 White Lion Street, London N1 0PF, Tel: 020 7837 7979

Visit the Poverty magazine website page to download a pdf of the feature article: Where next for Gordon Brown? His first hundred days. It features:

Anthony Giddens: urges Brown 'to discard the 'War on Terror' and openly adopt a 'War on Poverty', asks why the super rich shouldn't have some responsibility for helping the super poor, and calls for the introduction of a wealth tax whose proceeds go directly into a fund to help poor children.

Polly Toynbee: calls upon the new Prime Minister 'to find the voice, at last, to speak out against obscene wealth, against out-of-control boardroom greed, private equity raiders and a world of riches that has made the country cynical.'

Richard Exell, TUC: urges the Government to make an extra £4 billion available for children in poverty.

Martin Narey, Chief Executive of Barnardo's: calls on the new Prime Minister to establish a UK Commission on Child Poverty to identify the policies needed to hit the 2020 target to eradicate child poverty.

Luke Geoghegan, Chief Executive of Toynbee Hall: comments on the shameful levels of poverty for a country as wealthy as the UK.

Matt Davies from ATD 4th World which works directly with families living in poverty cites a lone parent's views: 'Poor parents, does not equal poor parenting. Families living in poverty do not want pity or sympathy, not do they want the label of lazy scroungers or criminals. They want to be able to be part of society, contribute to it and have their abilities and resilience recognised. Most of all they want to be empowered, not forced, to help themselves out of poverty.'

Hilary Fisher, Director of the Campaign to End Child Poverty: outlines fresh policies needed for Brown to become children's anti-poverty champion.

For further information please contact:
Tim Nichols
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
tnichols@cpag.org.uk