Commitment to help ‘tackle childhood poverty’ in Sunderland

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City councillors on Wearside have reaffirmed their commitment to help tackle childhood poverty and “ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive”.

The latest meeting of Sunderland City Council saw cross-party support for a motion looking at the “persistent levels” ofchildhood poverty within the city and steps to improve lives for future generations.

A list of pledges was backed by city councillors including continuing to support local initiatives aimed at “alleviating poverty”, as well as the council “actively contributing” to regional poverty initiatives and plans.

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The motion asked councillors to advocate for support from the national government and to lobby for policies which “provide greater economic security for families, improve access to affordable housing and enhance educational opportunities for children”.

Sunderland City HallSunderland City Hall
Sunderland City Hall

It also called for a “clear framework” for “monitoring and reporting” on efforts to tackle childhood poverty in Sunderland, as well as a commitment to “ensure the voices of those affected by poverty, particularly children and families, are heard”.

Councillor Michael Butler, the council’s cabinet member for children’s services, child poverty and skills, launched the motion at City Hall on September 18, 2024.

In a speech to councillors, the Labour representative for Southwick outlined his experiences growing up in the area during the 1980s and the importance of “breaking the cycle” of childhood poverty.

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“I witnessed first hand the struggles of not having enough, enough food, enough money, enough security,” he said.

“But beyond the material hardships, what left the most lasting impact were the emotional scars from growing up in a community burdened by poverty, alcohol abuse was rampant and often used as a misguided escape from the harsh realities of life.

“This led to broken homes, violence and trauma that lingered long after, these were not isolated incidents but part of a broader cycle of despair that gripped entire communities like mine.

“Children like me grew up in a world filled with instability and fear, these experiences are not just memories, they’re a stark reminder of why our work here is so crucial”.

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Cllr Butler said “too many” children in Sunderland are still affected by poverty, which negatively impacts their health, education and “future prospects” and that poverty was partly a result of “broader systematic issues”, with any efforts to tackle it needing to be “practical, effective and inclusive”.

“Our past teaches us that addressing childhood poverty is not just about providing immediate relief, it’s about breaking the cycle that perpetuates poverty from one generation to the next,” he added.

“We must address root causes such as poor economic opportunities, lack of affordable housing and limited access to quality education.

“This council reaffirms its commitment to reducing childhood poverty in Sunderland, we will continue to support local initiatives aimed at alleviating this poverty and improving the well-being of children and families.

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“But these efforts must be part of a broader and more comprehensive strategy”.

Labour councillor and cabinet member Beth Jones, who seconded the motion, said there were 4.2 million children living in poverty nationally and 120,000 in the North East but added there was now the “political will” nationally and locally to “address important issues”.

This ranged from national plans, to the ‘child poverty reduction unit’ recently launched by new North East Mayor Kim McGuinness.

During the full council debate this month, an amendment was proposed by the opposition Liberal Democrats including adding a reference to “scrapping the two-child limit to benefit payments”.

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Councillor Heather Fagan, deputy leader of the Wearside Liberal Democrats, said child poverty campaigners described scrapping the policy as the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty and that reference to the policy was “missing” from Labour’s motion.

She suggested this was because “the Keir Starmer yes people opposite me aren’t prepared to do the right thing and give their backing to a policy which the Prime Minister instructed his MPs to vote against in Parliament just a few weeks ago”.

Cllr Fagan added: “We’re helpfully giving Labour colleagues here a chance to prove that they’re able and willing to stand up to their own callous government in a new age of austerity”.

Councillor Michael Mordey, leader of Sunderland City Council, said the Labour Group would vote to support the Liberal Democrat amendment.

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“I think what we have to do is advocate for that bullet point, it’s something that a massive majority of us would like to see,” he said.

“We’re cognisant that we’re only 11 weeks tomorrow into the Labour government, we haven’t had the time to right all the wrongs of the previous 14 years and we’re six weeks away from the budget […] I will end on this.

“If the coalition government hadn’t ended the previous Labour government’s child poverty reduction work, we probably would have eliminated child poverty by now.

“Yet it’s at a record high, so anything we can do here in Sunderland working with the North East Combined Authority and Labour government to end child poverty [we should].

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“I grew up in Hendon in a poor household and I know how poverty can affect the life chances of people and it’s incumbent on all of us to ensure that we use the office we have and time we have to lift as many people out of child poverty, so let’s work together on that”.

Councillor Antony Mullen, leader of the Sunderland Conservatives, attempted to amend the motion further by adding a bullet point around establishing a cross-party group to monitor and measure the impact of council policy in the area of childhood poverty.

The amendment also asked for a report to be commissioned to look at the “likely impact” of removing winter fuel allowance and/or the single-person council tax discount on children who live in single parent families and those living with older parents/carers or grandparents.

Cllr Mullen said: “We do fully support the motion but think that it does need to formally include all parties and in particular, to invite people from opposition parties who will be more critical voices, rather than officers or members of the executive”.

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Council leader Cllr Michael Mordey said Labour would vote against the Conservative amendment because a cross-party scrutiny committee already existed to monitor impacts.

He added that changes to the single person council tax discount were “hypothetical” and that the council had to wait for the national government’s budget on this issue.

After being put to the vote, the Labour motion with the Liberal Democrat amendment was agreed.

TheTackling Childhood Poverty’ motion in full reads:

This council notes with deep concern the persistent levels of childhood poverty within Sunderland and the wider North East region.

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Despite ongoing efforts, too many children in our city are still growing up in households that struggle to make ends meet, which negatively impacts their health, education, and future prospects.

This council recognises that tackling childhood poverty is a priority not only for Sunderland but also for the North East Combined Authority and the new Labour government.

It is essential that we work in partnership at all levels of government to ensure that every child in Sunderland has the opportunity to thrive.

This council believes that by working together—across national, regional and city governments—we can make significant strides in reducing childhood poverty and building a brighter future for the children of Sunderland.

Council therefore resolves to:

  • Reaffirm our commitment to reducing childhood poverty in Sunderland by continuing to support local initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty and improving the wellbeing of children and families.
  • Actively contribute to regional plans and support initiatives that address the root causes of poverty.
  • Advocate for increased support and funding from the national government to address the underlying issues contributing to childhood poverty in in Sunderland. Seek out places and forums where we can make sure Sunderland is served well in policy setting processes. This includes actively lobbying for policies that provide greater economic security for families, improve access to affordable housing and enhance educational opportunities for children, including scrapping the two child limit to benefit payments.
  • Establish a clear framework for monitoring and reporting on the progress of our efforts to reduce childhood poverty in Sunderland. This will involve setting measurable targets, regularly reviewing our strategies, and ensuring that we are accountable to the people we serve.
  • Ensure that the voices of those affected by poverty, particularly children and families, are heard and considered in the development of policies and programs aimed at tackling poverty. We will engage with community organisations, schools, and other stakeholders to gather insights and feedback.

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