“It is straightforward act that could lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty & send out a positive message of hope.”
By Apsana Begum MP
In East London we have some of the highest rates of child poverty in the entire country.
Low pay and cuts in public services have been imposed on our communities brutally, cruelly, and relentlessly.
We have a housing crisis where affordable housing is just not affordable. Where profit not people has driven development and regeneration has meant gentrification.
People are paying more and more and more for less and less and less. All while the rich get richer.
Not only did the Tories drive people into poverty, they then punished them for being poor. They persecuted people for being disabled and viciously attacked the vulnerable.
As they attacked the very fabric of our communities, they fostered fear and division and falsely pointed to migrants as the cause of the UK’s woes.
Fourteen years of the Conservative’s unjust reign of austerity, division and repression have come to an end.
People voted for change, and they are looking to Parliament – to a Labour Government – to deliver.
The King’s Speech’s measures on transforming the UK for the better – measures relating to investment, public ownership, and employment rights – are an exciting opportunity.
However, after years of austerity, there are widespread concerns regarding the funding needed and questions about priorities, political choices and in whose interests decisions are made.
Whether children in poverty have to pay the price with their wellbeing or whether the rich and wealthy simply pay their fair share? Whether a child has a fair future, or a millionaire has an extra yacht? Whether our society is about creating a hopeful future for our children or whether it is driven by profit creation for corporations?
Deciding what sort of society we want – what our values are – that was central to the General Election.
The two-child limit in particular was an appalling attack on our communities.
Anti-poverty charities, think tanks and academic researchers have long been highlighting the harm it causes.
All evidence shows that the 2-child cap on benefits has contributed to rising and deepening levels of child poverty, and food insecurity for larger families.
That is why I am calling for the scrapping the two-child limit.
It is a straightforward act that could lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty and send out a positive message of hope.
Because what is more important than our children and our future?
- Apsana Begum is the MP for Poplar and Limehouse and a regular contributor to Labour Outlook. You can follow Apsana on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram and Tik Tok.
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