Labour risks losing ground to Reform UK if it fails to address rising poverty, warns John Bird, the co-founder of The Big Issue. Bird, who will table an amendment to the schools bill on Monday, says mainstream parties have “lost their way” and must take real action to cut child poverty.
Bird, who grew up in a Notting Hill slum and was homeless by the age of five, says Farage’s party is gaining ground because people no longer trust the major parties. “This government, like those who came before, has lost the trust of its supporters by muddling through, caring more for the immediate than ensuring an enduring and better long-term future,” he said.
📊 Record Child Poverty on the Rise
The latest figures show a record 4.5 million children in the UK are living in poverty – up 100,000 in just a year. Labour has promised an “ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty” in its general election manifesto, but campaigners warn that without scrapping policies like the two-child benefit cap, these numbers could rise even further.
Bird’s amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill would legally bind the government to reduce child poverty. “It would hold this government’s feet to the fire in taking long-term, truly preventive action for the 4.5 million children in this country who live in poverty,” he said.
⚠️ Politicians ‘Creating Poverty Faster Than Ever’
Bird argues that politicians are creating poverty faster than ever, putting the UK on a path back to the hardship he experienced as a child. “The whims of politicians limit the economy’s ability to grow in a way that helps working people, creating poverty faster than any other point in the 21st century,” he said. “It is both a moral and a political necessity that Labour take urgent, meaningful action.”
📣 ‘Stop Poverty Being a Political Football’
Anna Feuchtwang, chief executive of the National Children’s Bureau, has backed the move. She argues that legally binding targets are the only way to force real change. “Either the government fulfils its manifesto pledge and holds itself accountable for creating a society where all children can thrive, or we risk child poverty continuing to rise,” she said.
YouGov polling for The Big Issue found that 72% of Britons believe Labour should be doing more to tackle poverty, a figure up 18% in just six months.
🏫 Schools Bill Set for Scrutiny in Lords
The schools bill, which is set for committee stage in the House of Lords, includes a range of new laws aimed at improving child welfare and education. Proposals include free breakfast clubs for all primary schools, a national register for children not in school, and stricter rules for academy schools.
You may also like: Letter to The Times nails Nigel Farage – reactions
