Deputy Leadership candidates challenged on child poverty

Child Poverty Action Group’s Chief Executive, Kate Green, has written to the six candidates for the Labour Deputy Leadership, challenging them to support the policies needed to halve child poverty by 2010 and end child poverty by 2020. She said:

“There are 3.8 million children living in poverty in Britain today. British people are rightly appalled that so many children fare so badly in the world’s fifth richest country.

“We strongly support the Government’s important commitments to halve child poverty by 2010 and end it by 2020. But progress has stalled, with the latest figures showing an increase of 100,000 more children in poverty than in the previous year. Renewed efforts, including new investment and policies, are urgently needed.

“We have asked each candidate to make a public statement in support of the targets and explain the strategy they believe is now required to halve child poverty by 2010 and end it by 2020.”

Notes to Editors

• CPAG is a member of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, which is calling for the Government to increase annual investment by £3.8 billion so that the UK can meet the target of halving child poverty by 2010 and remain on track to end child poverty by 2020. (The figure of £3.8 billion comes from analysis by the Institute of Fiscal Studies).
• The full text of the letter sent to each Labour Deputy Leadership candidate is below:

“Dear [deputy leadership candidate]

As a candidate for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party, I am writing to you about the importance of the Labour Government’s pledge to end child poverty and steps needed to achieve it.

As you will know, though significant progress has been made in reducing child poverty, this has stalled, with figures for 2005/06 showing an increase on the previous year, with 100,000 more children living in poverty. Child Poverty Action Group recognises that the promise made by the Labour Government to eradicate child poverty was an act of great political courage and social importance, and we strongly believe that with greater investment it remains entirely achievable.

CPAG would like to take the opportunity to highlight the following areas where we believe action is needed to meet the Government’s targets of halving child poverty by 2010 and ending child poverty by 2020.

• Address inequality. Much greater recognition is needed of the links between income and wealth inequality and poor social outcomes in areas like health, education and social cohesion. Political leadership is needed to put inequality high up on the agenda of both the public and politicians. It should be an explicit aim of government to reduce the inequality gaps for income and wealth through redistribution, fairer taxation and action on low pay.
• Invest £3.8 billion to meet 2010 target. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has carried out analysis which suggests that an extra £3.8 billion annual investment in child tax credit is needed to have a 50:50 chance of reaching the 2010 target – investment on this scale is a prerequisite for meeting the target.
• Make child benefit count. Raise child benefit for second and subsequent children from £12.10 to £18.10. This would lift 250,000-300,000 children out of poverty and would particularly help larger families, one of the main groups at risk of child poverty.
• New investment in education targeted to need. A timeline should be provided for implementing the pledge to raise public spending per pupil to that of private sector. New resources should be allocated according to the individual education support needs of children and bent towards schools in the poorest areas or with the poorest intake.
• Welfare to work. The recent Harker review of policy to reduce child poverty made some very useful recommendations, including a ‘New Deal Plus’ for parents which should be implemented. New deal programmes must be able to spot those with parenting responsibilities, and to assist them in balancing work and family life. Personal advisors must seek to get people into good work, suitable to their skills and needs, not just any work.
• Invest in skills. The low skilled or unskilled and their families are at particular risk of poverty. The Leitch recommendations around significant investment and commitment from employers to upskill the labour force must be taken forward.
• Child support. Child maintenance should be disregarded in full for assessment of income support. This would reduce child poverty by between 80,000 and 90,000 children.
• Invest in childcare. Improving access and affordability of childcare in poorer areas and investing more in supply side funding will support many lone parents and potential second earners in finding and sustaining work.

Of these, the most fundamental is tackling inequality. While tax credits are playing a vital role – and a role that must continue – in targeting support to the poorest families, they are compensating for underlying structural inequality that means the rewards of Britain’s strong economy are shared in a highly unfair and unequal way. This includes a large poverty-pay sector of the work force, who despite their contribution to the UK’s success and prosperity, currently have little prospect of working themselves out of poverty.

I would be grateful if you would reply with a statement to explain what policies and strategy you believe are required to halve child poverty by 2010 and end it by 2020. (CPAG is publicising our request to all six Deputy Leadership candidates for a statement and we will publicise the responses we receive.)

I hope that you will also be able to give us a clear assurance that as Deputy Leader you would work to ensure that the party not only retains its target of eradicating child poverty, but shows the political leadership needed to ensure that it is a headline priority of the Government with strong public backing.

If you would like to meet to discuss child poverty related issues please contact Tim Nichols, CPAG Parliamentary Officer, on 020 7812 5216 or tnichols@cpag.org.uk.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kate Green OBE
Chief Executive
Child Poverty Action Group”

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