Big Issue founder steps up anti-poverty campaign

The founder of the Big Issue magazine is taking action in Parliament aimed at persuading the government to do more to fight rising levels of poverty.

Lord John Bird has tabled an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and is warning that Labour will not hold back the rise of Reform UK at the next general election unless it acts now.

Lord Bird has proposed a new clause to the Bill, which is currently being prepared for scrutiny at committee stage in the House of Lords, which would place a new duty on the government to set targets for the reduction of child poverty.

The move comes as a survey of more than 2,000 adults for the Big Issue found that seven out of 10 believed Labour should be doing more in their approach to poverty.

Public disapproval on the issue has risen by 18% in the past six months, said the Big Issue.

The magazine is campaigning for a wider ‘Poverty Zero’ law – the establishment of statutory poverty reduction targets, similar to net zero.

Lord John Bird said: “As the local elections showed, the big question for Labour now is how to stop a mass exodus of its supporters defecting to their rivals.

“That’s no easy task when so many issues divide the British public, but as our poll shows, on one issue they are united – there must be more done for the 14 million people in poverty in this country.

“My amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would mean all future governments will be held to account on reducing child poverty.

“It would hold this Government’s feet to the fire in taking long-term, truly preventative action for the 4.3 million children in this country who currently live in poverty, and signal to the UK public that they are finally taking poverty seriously.”

A Government spokesperson said: “No child should be living in poverty, which is why we have already taken wide-ranging action to break the unfair link between background and opportunity, led by our cross-government child poverty taskforce.

“We know that the best route out of poverty for struggling families is well-paid, secure work, so through our plan for change we are reforming our broken welfare system, so it helps people into good jobs, boosting living standards and putting money in people’s pockets.

“We have also tripled investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, with delivery of free meals and childcare already in 750 schools, increased pupil premium to over £3 billion and supported 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a fair repayment rate on Universal Credit deductions to help low-income households.”