Labour's Legacy: 50% Child Poverty in Withington Constituency

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 14th Oct 2008

Shocking figures released by the Campaign to End Child Poverty show that Labour's record on child poverty remains in shambles in the Withington constituency, according to local Liberal Democrats.

Statistics collated by the group show that 50% of children in the constituency live in low-income households, as well as showing that throughout Manchester child poverty is disappointingly high - rising to 78% in Manchester Central and 73% in Manchester Gorton.

Withington MP John Leech said:

"These figures from the Campaign to End Child Poverty show that Labour is failing local children and families. To have half of local children living in poverty is a shameful record for a party which claims to support local families.

Child poverty has ramifications for employment, education, health and access to services, which means that these figures concern everyone in the local area.

We need more transparency in the system of calculating Tax Credits so that families can carefully plan their expenses. The government's poverty strategy seems to revolve around helping those who it is easiest to help, rather than those who desperately need it. This must change. Most of all, we need Labour to stick to its pledge to eradicate child poverty by 2020.

I am therefore calling on Labour to do more to improve the plight of these children, and their families, whose situation will only be made worse by the ongoing financial crisis."

<ENDS>

Notes to editors:

1) Reports concerning the ramifications of child poverty are available from http://www.childpovertytoolkit.org.uk/Child-Poverty-and-Worklessness-Including-Child-Care

2) The constituency-by-constituency breakdown is available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7644155.stm