Tories attack government's child poverty record
Cathy Wallace
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Shadow chancellor George Osbourne has launched a blistering attack on the government's record on child poverty and tackling inequality.
A dossier released by the Conservative Party, entitled An Unfair Britain, argued the education gap between poorer and better-off students was widening under Labour.
"A decade of top-down state control policies have made our country less fair," Osbourne said.
The report pointed out more than 60,000 children are currently in care and 47 per cent of these children left school without any GCSEs in 2006.
It also said the number of children living in poverty has increased by 100,000 in the past year and that 900,000 more people were living in severe poverty than in 1997.
However Paul Dornan, head of policy at the Child Poverty Action Group, has questioned this figure.
"The Institute for Fiscal Studies, whose data the Conservatives have used, has previously warned the party it is not a viable measure," he said. "It is also a political risk for the party to use a dodgy measure, according to which poverty increased by nearly 500 per cent under the last Conservative governments."
Dornan added: "We have one of the highest rates of child poverty in Europe, but we can and must do better."
"A decade of top-down state control policies have made our country less fair," Osbourne said.
The report pointed out more than 60,000 children are currently in care and 47 per cent of these children left school without any GCSEs in 2006.
It also said the number of children living in poverty has increased by 100,000 in the past year and that 900,000 more people were living in severe poverty than in 1997.
However Paul Dornan, head of policy at the Child Poverty Action Group, has questioned this figure.
"The Institute for Fiscal Studies, whose data the Conservatives have used, has previously warned the party it is not a viable measure," he said. "It is also a political risk for the party to use a dodgy measure, according to which poverty increased by nearly 500 per cent under the last Conservative governments."
Dornan added: "We have one of the highest rates of child poverty in Europe, but we can and must do better."
