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| Three main parties attacked for their lack of ambition over 'lamentable' child poverty failure - by Government's own anti-poverty tsar | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| All three main Westminster parties will be condemned by the Government’s anti-poverty tsar today for their failure to improve social mobility and reduce the number of children growing up in poor families. | All three main Westminster parties will be condemned by the Government’s anti-poverty tsar today for their failure to improve social mobility and reduce the number of children growing up in poor families. |
| In his second annual “state of the nation” report, Alan Milburn, the former Labour cabinet minister, will accuse the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats of showing a lack of ambition on tackling the problems. Mr Milburn warned on Sunday that under-30s were being “priced out of the UK”. | In his second annual “state of the nation” report, Alan Milburn, the former Labour cabinet minister, will accuse the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats of showing a lack of ambition on tackling the problems. Mr Milburn warned on Sunday that under-30s were being “priced out of the UK”. |
| The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, which he chairs, will accuse the parties of paying lip-service to the Government’s target to eradicate child poverty by 2020, warning that it cannot possibly be met. An estimated 3.5 million children will still be in poverty then. | The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, which he chairs, will accuse the parties of paying lip-service to the Government’s target to eradicate child poverty by 2020, warning that it cannot possibly be met. An estimated 3.5 million children will still be in poverty then. |
| The Coalition’s attempt to agree a new national goal for tackling poverty ended in deadlock. Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, proposed the scrapping of Labour’s 1999 definition of child poverty as households with an income less than 60 per cent of the median UK earnings. | The Coalition’s attempt to agree a new national goal for tackling poverty ended in deadlock. Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, proposed the scrapping of Labour’s 1999 definition of child poverty as households with an income less than 60 per cent of the median UK earnings. |
| He argued that this encouraged governments to focus on families close to the poverty line rather than on those in the deepest poverty. He wanted to address the “root causes” but the Liberal Democrats urged a different set of targets. Then George Osborne, the Chancellor, blocked both rival plans. | He argued that this encouraged governments to focus on families close to the poverty line rather than on those in the deepest poverty. He wanted to address the “root causes” but the Liberal Democrats urged a different set of targets. Then George Osborne, the Chancellor, blocked both rival plans. |
| The commission will say it is “lamentable” that disagreements inside the Coalition have prevented it from agreeing on new targets. It will criticise all three main parties for making too little effort “to reconcile the social ends they say they want with the policy means to which each of them is committed”. Alan Milburn said this generation of young people risk being worse off than their parents | The commission will say it is “lamentable” that disagreements inside the Coalition have prevented it from agreeing on new targets. It will criticise all three main parties for making too little effort “to reconcile the social ends they say they want with the policy means to which each of them is committed”. Alan Milburn said this generation of young people risk being worse off than their parents |
| It will urge the parties to be more honest in the run-up to next year’s general election about what they can achieve by when to reduce poverty and improve social mobility. It will argue that the incoming government next May should set new, more realistic targets. Mr Milburn’s commission is expected to say that plans to cut in-work support in the next parliament will make the working poor worse rather than better off. The Conservatives have announced plans for a two-year freeze in benefits, including tax credits, from 2016. | It will urge the parties to be more honest in the run-up to next year’s general election about what they can achieve by when to reduce poverty and improve social mobility. It will argue that the incoming government next May should set new, more realistic targets. Mr Milburn’s commission is expected to say that plans to cut in-work support in the next parliament will make the working poor worse rather than better off. The Conservatives have announced plans for a two-year freeze in benefits, including tax credits, from 2016. |
| After both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats pledged to raise the personal tax allowance to £12,500 a year by 2020, the commission will warn that this would not be the best use of resources if they want to tackle poverty and boost social mobility. | After both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats pledged to raise the personal tax allowance to £12,500 a year by 2020, the commission will warn that this would not be the best use of resources if they want to tackle poverty and boost social mobility. |
| It will also criticise Labour’s goal of an £8-per-hour national minimum wage by 2020, arguing that it is not as ambitious as it sounds because it implies a slower rate of increase between now and 2020 than there was between 1999 and this year. If that trend continued, the minimum wage would be worth £8.23 an hour in 2020, not £8, it calculates. | It will also criticise Labour’s goal of an £8-per-hour national minimum wage by 2020, arguing that it is not as ambitious as it sounds because it implies a slower rate of increase between now and 2020 than there was between 1999 and this year. If that trend continued, the minimum wage would be worth £8.23 an hour in 2020, not £8, it calculates. |
| Today’s report will argue that the next government will have to adopt radical new approaches if poverty is to be beaten and Britain is to avoid becoming “a permanently divided society”. It is expected to make a series of far-reaching recommendations on education, low pay, further and higher education, access to the professions and public spending. | Today’s report will argue that the next government will have to adopt radical new approaches if poverty is to be beaten and Britain is to avoid becoming “a permanently divided society”. It is expected to make a series of far-reaching recommendations on education, low pay, further and higher education, access to the professions and public spending. |
| On Sunday, Mr Milburn warned about the dangers of a “generational divide” between young and old, and between people able to pass on property to their children and those who cannot. He said today’s under-30s were “the losers” in the recovery, adding: “It is depressing. The current generation of young people are educated better and for longer than any previous one. But young people are losing out on jobs, earnings and housing.” | On Sunday, Mr Milburn warned about the dangers of a “generational divide” between young and old, and between people able to pass on property to their children and those who cannot. He said today’s under-30s were “the losers” in the recovery, adding: “It is depressing. The current generation of young people are educated better and for longer than any previous one. But young people are losing out on jobs, earnings and housing.” |
| The former Health Secretary said the dependence of young people on the “bank of mum and dad” to help them to buy a home threatened to “break the link between effort and reward that is the core to social mobility”. | The former Health Secretary said the dependence of young people on the “bank of mum and dad” to help them to buy a home threatened to “break the link between effort and reward that is the core to social mobility”. |
| He will call for radical action including building on the Green Belt through “land swaps” to preserve the same amount of protected land; priority access to new homes for first-time buyers; and more “part-rent, part-buy” schemes to allow young people to build up a stake in their home. | He will call for radical action including building on the Green Belt through “land swaps” to preserve the same amount of protected land; priority access to new homes for first-time buyers; and more “part-rent, part-buy” schemes to allow young people to build up a stake in their home. |
| Mr Milburn said: “Urgent action is needed to prevent this generation of young people faring worse than their parents’ generation. Social mobility relies on young people having better opportunities to progress. Investment in skills and employment of young people today is money saved in social security and the costs of poverty tomorrow.” | Mr Milburn said: “Urgent action is needed to prevent this generation of young people faring worse than their parents’ generation. Social mobility relies on young people having better opportunities to progress. Investment in skills and employment of young people today is money saved in social security and the costs of poverty tomorrow.” |