Live in North Tyneside? Find out which of your mayoral candidates care about child poverty
The latest statistics on child poverty show increases across the North East. Nationally, some of the areas with the highest rates of child poverty are in our region.
Child poverty is increasing - why won’t the government act?
Despite increased child poverty the Labour government are refusing to scrap the two-child benefit cap and are not even talking about the huge impact of no recourse to public funds on child poverty. Many of our local politicians too, are refusing to stand up against these policies which would make huge differences to the lives of children and families locally if reversed.
The No More Growing Up Poor (NMGUP) campaign is continuing to push local politicians to publicly support the demands to abolish no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and scrap the two child benefit cap.
Where do North Tyneside mayoral candidates stand on the NMGUP campaign demands?
With mayoral elections in North Tyneside coming up on 1st May Food & Solidarity wrote to mayoral candidates to ask whether they support our demands for action on child poverty:
Green party mayoral candidate Chloe-Louise Reilly has given their full support to the campaign.
Cath Davis, independent mayoral candidate for North Tyneside has also endorsed the campaign demands.
Lib Dem candidate John Appleby has replied to Food and Solidarity’s email, stating their concern about child poverty and expressing support for some reform to benefits for children and families.
Martin Uren, another independent candidate, has not responded to share their position on child poverty.
We've not had any response from Tory candidate Liam Bones, whose party introduced the two-child benefit cap eight years ago, leading to steep increases in child poverty.
Karen Clark, the Labour mayoral candidate for North Tyneside has stayed silent too, in line with what we’ve seen from the majority of other Labour politicians in the region who we’ve approached about the NMGUP campaign.
North East Labour politicians & child poverty - the story so far
Kim McGuinness, North East Combined Authority mayor, after month of running scared of the Labour leadership. Has finally advocated for the changes to benefits that would instantly lift thousands of children out of poverty, she should be commended for this, but she has continued to be silent on NRPF, which continues to affect 1000s of families in the North East and the communities in which they live.
Newcastle Central and West MP Chi Onwurah, who represents two of the three most deprived wards in the North East (with 59% of children in Elswick living in poverty and 53% in Arthurs Hill), is also yet to speak out against NRPF and the two child benefit cap following Food and Solidarity action outside the constituency office last month. Chi criticised the previous governments’ lack of action on child poverty - what’s changed?
Whilst Councillor Lesley Storey, Labour cabinet Member for Children and Families at Newcastle City Council has shown her support for the NMGUP campaign demands, recognising their importance for children in the city, Labour leader of Newcastle City council Karen Kilgour has refused to make a statement against the two child benefit cap and NRPF despite the council doing so under the previous Tory government.
Take action on child poverty - what you can do
Children and families in our communities don’t have time to wait for local politicians to find the courage to stand up to central government.
Join Food & Solidarity to get involved in the No More Growing Up Poor campaign and take direct action to tackle poverty through food parcel provision, and fighting for decent housing for members
