Greens condemn Tory indifference on child poverty
29 September 2008
NEWS: Green Party | www.greenparty.org.uk
For immediate use, Tuesday 30 September 2008
GREENS CONDEMN TORY INDIFFERENCE ON CHILD POVERTY
Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas has called upon the Conservative Party to commit to halving child poverty by 2010, after a Barnardos chief criticised the Tories 'mealy-mouthed' position on the government target. The Green Party campaigns for a Living Wage, key to lifting working families out of poverty as more than 50% of children living in poverty are in working families. [1]
In a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference, Martin Narey, chief executive of Barnardos, said that the Conservatives' 'aspiration' to end child poverty, contrasted with the other parties' commitment to the target, was "a mealy-mouthed phrase, which really has no place in politics." Shadow charities minister Greg Clark said the Tories would not be "press-ganged" into committing to reduce child poverty. [2]
Dr Lucas said:
"I commit unreservedly to halving child poverty by 2010. The Green Party is doing its bit to help meet that target, championing free school meals and attacking poverty pay. Why won't David Cameron make the same commitment?
"More than half of the children living in poverty in this country are in working families. To end child poverty, we have to end poverty pay. In Oxford, Greens have secured a Living Wage - £7 per hour - for all council employees. In London, Greens established the Living Wage Unit, won a £7.20 per hour wage for fire brigade cleaners and were instrumental in getting City giants like KPMG and Citigroup to follow suit.
"At a time of economic hardship, we don't need politicians' 'aspirations' to end child poverty: we need action. The Conservatives don't share our sense of urgency."
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Campaign to end Child Poverty: http://tinyurl.com/3faz29
2. Community Care magazine: http://tinyurl.com/52qr9k
3. For more on the Green Party's work on Living Wage, see: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/policies/living-wage.html
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