A third of Lambeth children living in poverty owing to inadequate strategy, says Green Party candidate Bartley
More than three in ten children across the borough of Lambeth are living in child poverty, according to statistics released this week.
Jonathan Bartley, the Green Party’s London Assembly candidate for Lambeth and Southwark, said that the new poverty map paints a bleak picture that Lambeth’s child poverty strategy is failing to tackle.
Bartley, who publicly challenged the Prime Minister over his policies toward vulnerable children during the last election campaign (1) said:
“The picture in Lambeth with regards to child poverty is bleak, compounded by a child poverty strategy which is neither joined up nor comprehensive (2).
“Lambeth’s proposals to tackle child poverty are being undermined by its own cuts to services—most notably youth services. The cuts in other areas, such as those to disabled services for families with disabled members are some of the worst in the whole country (3) and merely compound the problem.
“The borough’s strategy does not some of the most significant underlying causes of child poverty, including rocketing energy (4) and food prices, seriously.
“The council urgently needs to put in place a strategy so that Lambeth can become more sustainable in terms of its own energy and food production, which will both help to limit price rises and benefit the local economy.”
The worst wards for child poverty in Lambeth are Coldharbour (45%), Larkhall (41%) and Tulse Hill (40%), where over four in ten children live in poverty (5).
As a borough, Lambeth ranks 17th across the country for the worst child poverty figures.
The new report used tax credit data to examine the proportion of children living in low-income homes, also taking into account recent unemployment to estimate changes in the number of children who are sinking into poverty because their parents have lost their jobs. Families with disabled children remain disproportionately likely to be in poverty.
The figure of one third (33%) of Lambeth children in poverty contrasts with neighbouring Wandsworth borough, where the figure is 24% (6).
The child poverty map of the UK was published by the Campaign to End Child Poverty.
Jenny Jones, Green Party Mayoral candidate, said of the cross-London figures: “These shocking figures reflect the damaging policies of Westminster and the misplaced priorities of our Mayor. The people of London deserve better.
“Public sector cuts have taken away part of the capital’s safety net for those struggling financially and increased the strain on families struggling to stay afloat. Many of the parents of these children are in work but don’t earn enough to ensure a high standard of living.
“Boris Johnson is a banker’s Mayor who has done much to protect the interests of his wealthy friends but very little for children facing an uncertain future.
“In contrast Green Assembly Members have been behind the introduction of the London Living Wage and are now pushing for 10:1 maximum pay ratio—starting with City Hall—to help reduce excessive pay and reduce poverty across the capital.”
More than three in ten children across the borough of Lambeth are living in child poverty, according to statistics released this week.
Jonathan Bartley, the Green Party’s London Assembly candidate for Lambeth and Southwark, said that the new poverty map paints a bleak picture that Lambeth’s child poverty strategy is failing to tackle.
Bartley, who publicly challenged the Prime Minister over his policies toward vulnerable children during the last election campaign (1) said:
“The picture in Lambeth with regards to child poverty is bleak, compounded by a child poverty strategy which is neither joined up nor comprehensive (2).
“Lambeth’s proposals to tackle child poverty are being undermined by its own cuts to services—most notably youth services. The cuts in other areas, such as those to disabled services for families with disabled members are some of the worst in the whole country (3) and merely compound the problem.
“The borough’s strategy does not some of the most significant underlying causes of child poverty, including rocketing energy (4) and food prices, seriously.
“The council urgently needs to put in place a strategy so that Lambeth can become more sustainable in terms of its own energy and food production, which will both help to limit price rises and benefit the local economy.”
The worst wards for child poverty in Lambeth are Coldharbour (45%), Larkhall (41%) and Tulse Hill (40%), where over four in ten children live in poverty (5).
As a borough, Lambeth ranks 17th across the country for the worst child poverty figures.
The new report used tax credit data to examine the proportion of children living in low-income homes, also taking into account recent unemployment to estimate changes in the number of children who are sinking into poverty because their parents have lost their jobs. Families with disabled children remain disproportionately likely to be in poverty.
The figure of one third (33%) of Lambeth children in poverty contrasts with neighbouring Wandsworth borough, where the figure is 24% (6).
The child poverty map of the UK was published by the Campaign to End Child Poverty.
Jenny Jones, Green Party Mayoral candidate, said of the cross-London figures: “These shocking figures reflect the damaging policies of Westminster and the misplaced priorities of our Mayor. The people of London deserve better.
“Public sector cuts have taken away part of the capital’s safety net for those struggling financially and increased the strain on families struggling to stay afloat. Many of the parents of these children are in work but don’t earn enough to ensure a high standard of living.
“Boris Johnson is a banker’s Mayor who has done much to protect the interests of his wealthy friends but very little for children facing an uncertain future.
“In contrast Green Assembly Members have been behind the introduction of the London Living Wage and are now pushing for 10:1 maximum pay ratio—starting with City Hall—to help reduce excessive pay and reduce poverty across the capital.”
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