Tories’ ‘broken promises’ on child poverty
SPENDING on Sure Start centres, which give poor children a leg up in life, has fallen by 47 per cent – and Labour believes the lack of support will make child poverty worse.
Before she became PM Theresa May was a huge backer of Sure Start.
But Labour MP Dan Jarvis has discovered 157 centres were shut from 2011 to 2014 and 156 closed in 2015 alone. House of Commons Library analysis shows spending fell from £ 1.2bi l lion in 2011 to £691million last year. And £60million in cuts are planned this year.
Mr Jarvis said: “The Tories have broken their promises. If we are to build a country that works for everyone, every child must have the very best start in life.”
Sure Start was set up in 1998 by then Chancellor Gordon Brown to Picture: VINCENT DOLEMAN
In 2015 the beauty was raced to hospital after skin grafts in her nose started to close and threatened to block her airways.
But defiant Katie has also enjoyed huge success. In 2009 she launched the Katie Piper Foundation to help others cope with facial burns and scars. Simon Cowell is a patron.
She married supportive boyfriend James Sutton two years ago. The pair, who have a two-year-daughter Belle, both attended the National Television Awards earlier this week.
Katie has made dozens of TV appearances and fronts her own documentaries. Her next, My Beauty Secret, will soon air on Channel 4. She has said she doesn’t know when work will start on a script for her film, but admitted she would be flattered to have her story told. Our source said: “Katie’s story has been hugely inspiring. She’s shown you don’t need to be defined by the ordeals life throws at you.
“There’s nothing she hasn’t been able to achieve – from successful businesswoman to mum and wife. help disadvantaged families cope with childcare, early education needs, health and family support.
It was part of a strategy to reduce the 4.5 million children in absolute poverty to under 700,000 by 2020.
But despite a drop to 2.6 million in 2011 it was clear the figure would be up to 3.5 million by the end of the decade so the Tories abandoned the targets. Last month they also axed their Child Poverty Unit. Welfare minister Lord Henley told peers last week: “Those targets were a waste of time and we got rid of them.”
Estimates from the Institute of Fiscal Studies think tank say there will be a 50 per cent increase in child poverty under this Government.
Mr Jarvis is introducing a Commons Bill calling for the reintroduction of child poverty targets and a plan to meet them.