Labour should welcome my 11th-hour intervention of adding child poverty reduction targets to its children’s wellbeing and schools bill (Report, 12 May).
The storm over Keir Starmer’s “island of strangers” speech lays bare the flaw in chasing Reform UK on its territory. For each Reform-tempted voter he’s reclaimed, he’s lost twice as many core supporters who are deeply disturbed by echoes of Enoch Powell. The fragile voter coalition that gave him power is being smashed into smaller and sharper shards.
The prime minister must find a unifying issue, urgently. According to our recent Big Issue YouGov poll, 72% of the public want the government to do more to tackle poverty in the UK. It’s a core issue for those jumping ship to Reform UK – 68% of those who say they support that party say poverty is a key area where this government is failing.
As the child poverty taskforce mulls over how far to go with its “ambitious” strategy, I want the government to see action against poverty as a political opportunity, as well as a moral necessity.
I mean my amendment to the bill, due to be debated on Tuesday, as a gift – a way for it to seize the day and do something significant on child poverty.
John Bird
House of Lords
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