Ending Child Poverty: What is happening in the UK?

Review
Posted by: SallyLouise on Tue, 20 May 08 22:09:23 +0000

This is an interesting paper as it is very much placed in a specific time in UK political history. Since this report was published politics in the UK has changed, not least with the advent of the second Gulf War and a change in leadership of New Labour from Blair to Brown.

From a historical perspective it is interesting to see the optimism of the paper in relation to the desire to eradicate child poverty over the next 20 years. From the evidence presented it looks as though the Blair government were heading in the right direction with their policies by allowing the poorest in society access not only to more financial benefits, but also advice and information.

Comparisons were made with the US in terms of provisions for those who find themselves living in poverty, but no mention was made of the major differences in the healthcare systems between the two countries. The NHS in the UK is funded by the tax payer and as a result most treatments are free, compared to the US where healthcare is privately funded through insurance schemes.

Since Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair as the leader of the Labour party in the UK in 2007 the popular opinion of the party has plummeted. The most unpopular and controversial piece of legislation Brown has implemented has been the 10p tax rule, which has hit those on low incomes very hard, undermining the promises made and quoted in this paper in 2000.

It would be interesting to re-review this situation in the light of the new pessimism in the UK today, compared to the high hopes of 10 years ago.