We must take action now to end child poverty
Date published:
The Chamber’s latest column for The Journal by Callum George, policy adviser.
As this is my last column before I leave the Chamber, and given the formation of a new Labour government, I wanted to use this as an opportunity to highlight what I feel should be a national priority; and I think a lot of readers will agree.
During my two years at the Chamber, I’ve been proud to play my part in creating a stronger, fairer North East. As part of this, be it education policy or getting more people into work, there has always been one consistent issue; the alarming levels of child poverty we face as a region.
In the North East, over one in three children live in child poverty. This makes us one of the worst regions for child poverty in the UK. For the new Labour government to really deliver for our region, this must be addressed.
People who live, work and contribute to their communities know the most about their local area and its challenges.
So it was reassuring to see that, just a week into his new role, Prime Minister Starmer took the time to meet with mayors from across the country, including Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen and North East mayor Kim McGuinness. It provides me with optimism that regional priorities might just become national priorities.
Taking on board regional issues is one thing, but investing in them is another. Whether the term ‘levelling up’ survives the test of time or not, the premise it carries must be honoured by the new government. This means a fair allocation of funds to deal with the scale of the problems we face as a region, where it is needed the most.
Child poverty isn’t just today’s problem, if we don’t take the necessary action now, it will be the next generation’s as well. With devolution deals in the Tees Valley and the North East, as well as many new opportunities coming to our region, I believe we can be optimistic.
However, we mustn’t be relaxed in our campaigning for a stronger, fairer North East from central government. The dedication our region’s schools, colleges and charities show to level the playing field for our young people must be matched by policymakers.