SHARON HODGSON MP: Child poverty limits opportunities and livelihoods: how Labour will tackle this scourge on our society

Shockingly 4.3 million (30%) children across the UK were living in poverty in 2022-23. This is particularly stark in the North East where child poverty rates are higher than the UK average in every local authority according to the Joseph Roundtree Foundation.

Furthermore, 1/5 children in the North East (over 100,000) are living below the “deep poverty line” including the more than 1/10 (60,000) living in ‘very deep poverty’ (NECPC). This has a knock-on effect for all aspects of a child’s life including education, where there is a significant gap in educational attainment for young people based on parental income level.

This is why I am proud to support our North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, who has made tackling child poverty her number one priority. This includes establishing a Child Poverty Reduction Unit, supported by £500,000 in investment.

We know that parent unemployment or precarious employment is a key cause of child poverty. Therefore, as well as developing a strategy, this group will establish a Mayor’s Childcare Grant to help parents return to work.

Kim has made it clear that she is committed to improving the life of every child and will no longer allow the prevailing postcode lottery to determine outcomes for children in our region.

Nationally Labour has inherited an economy in a dire situation due to Tory economic mismanagement and 14 years of decline. Economic stability will be the first objective of this new Government as we know that delivering economic growth is the only way that we will improve prosperity, put more money into people’s pockets and transform our public services. In doing so we can turn the tide on rising poverty levels, so that every child no matter where they come from has the best start in life.

The new Government has taken swift action to also establish a new ministerial taskforce to drive action across Government, underpinned by a new child poverty unit in the Cabinet Office. The task force will examine how to remove the barriers to opportunity for every child and addressing child poverty will be at the heart of this work. The King’s Speech, delivered on July 17, also unveiled plans to establish breakfast clubs to give every primary school child a healthy meal to start the day.

I have also been amazed at the volunteers working up and down the country to help the most vulnerable. Having visited foodbanks in my constituency, I can see that they are inundated with donations and volunteers as our community comes together to support each other. However, foodbanks are not the solution to this crisis and Governmental action is desperately needed to reduce child poverty, just like the last Labour Government did. I am pleased to see this Government and our Mayor leading the way once again.

I have campaigned throughout my Parliamentary career to introduce universal free school meals and to lessen the impact of poverty upon young people in education. I also understand from my own childhood the pain and sacrifice parents face when sheltering their children from hardship. This is part of what has motivated me to stand for Chair of the Education Select Committee.

A firm and direct approach must be taken towards tackling child poverty otherwise we risk damaging the health, self-esteem and wellbeing of young people for the rest of their lives.