When voters head to the polls in Gorton and Denton this Thursday, they hold the future of over 6,000 local children in their hands.
These young boys and girls are set to benefit from the removal of the controversial two-child rule starting on April 1st, with some low-income families expected to receive an additional £70 per week.
Child poverty continues to affect a significant portion of children in the constituency, with 48% experiencing hardships. In Longsight, a staggering 73% of children are growing up in poverty.
The upcoming changes by the Labour government, focused on supporting children, are expected to lead to a significant decrease in these figures come April. This will pave the way for improved educational outcomes for children.
With the introduction of more breakfast clubs, free school meals, and additional Sure Start centers, the government’s efforts against poverty are gaining momentum, aiming to lift children out of difficult circumstances and provide them with new opportunities.
Recently, the Reform party expressed their desire to eliminate the two-child rule, with Robert Jenrick, now their shadow chancellor, previously voting for its abolition in the House of Commons. However, they now intend to reinstate the rule, potentially pushing children back into poverty.
Contrary to Reform’s claims, the beneficiaries of these policies are not solely workless parents, as statistics show that 60% of affected children have at least one working parent. Additionally, 30% of children are either too young, ill, or disabled, preventing their parents from working.
With the majority of families where children are impacted by the policy actively striving to improve their situation, the accusations of laziness by right-wing propaganda are unfounded and unacceptable.
The upcoming by-election presents a clear choice: supporting children’s escape from poverty with Labour’s local candidate Angeliki Stogia or potentially reverting to past Tory policies that perpetuated poverty.