New analysis from Barnet Labour reveals that 6,000 Barnet children were pushed into relative poverty since 2015.
Across the country, 1.3 million more people have fallen into poverty since 2010/11 when the Conservatives first came to power, with living standards falling by the largest year-on-year drop since records began in 2022/23.
The analysis comes as the new Labour Government announces a £421m boost to local authorities to help vulnerable families with the cost of their energy, food and water – through an extension of the Household Support Fund.
Publishing the figures, Barnet Labour Leader, Councillor Barry Rawlings said,
“The Conservatives left Britain broke and broken. But here in Barnet the new Labour government is already taking action to fix the foundations of our country and get Britain moving again.
“The Tories mismanaged our economy so badly that we’ve all taken a battering in recent years – and the children and families pushed into poverty by Conservative incompetence have been hit harder than most.
That’s why Labour has announced the £421m extension to the Household Support Scheme – to help families in get through the winter ahead.
“This boost supports the work we have been doing locally to support struggling families: Securing 1,000 new council homes by 2026, bearing down on the antisocial behaviour that blights lives and signing up to the Care Leavers Covenant, working to ensure the best possible start in life for the most vulnerable children.”
Given the dire economic inheritance Labour has been faced with, the Government has had to take difficult decisions to put our public finances on a sustainable footing as we tackle the £22 billion black hole.
1.3 million more people have fallen into poverty since 2010/11, with living standards falling by the largest year-on-year drop since records began in 2022/23. For over a decade people have also been denied the security and dignity of good work with more than 2.8 million people out of work due to sickness.
As Labour continues our work to deliver growth, make work pay and develop our child poverty strategy in the long term, the extension of the Fund prevents councils and vulnerable households experiencing an immediate cliff edge of support with a tough winter ahead.
The government is exploring options around how best to provide sustainable support to vulnerable households in the longer term. The ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious strategy to tackle the root causes of poverty.
The Get Britain Working White Paper, to be set out in the Autumn, will outline measures to reduce inactivity and help people to find better paid and more secure jobs.
By growing the economy and unlocking investment through the National Wealth Fund; launching Great British Energy to drive home-grown clean energy and lower bills; making work pay and developing a new Child Poverty Strategy to give children the best start in life – the Government is looking at all levers available to unlock the potential of millions across the country and give them the platform they need to thrive.
