Gordon Brown, the former chancellor, has called for higher taxes on the gambling industry to fund measures against child poverty. Writing in The Guardian, he argues that the sector's extraordinary profitability should be tapped to help lift 500,000 children out of poverty without breaking Labour's manifesto commitments.
Brown highlights the severity of the crisis, noting that 4.5 million children are now in poverty, the worst level since modern records began. He cites figures showing 1 million children lack a bed, 2 million households go without basic appliances, and 3 million children miss meals due to lack of food. The two-child benefit cap, he says, costs families £66 a week for a third child and £132 for a fourth, far outweighing the value of school lunches or breakfast clubs.
The former prime minister acknowledges the difficult fiscal inheritance faced by Rachel Reeves, with low growth, high debt, and defence spending pressures. However, he insists that new revenue sources exist, pointing to the gambling industry as a prime candidate. He stresses that any tax changes should not affect lotteries or bingo.
Brown draws on Labour's historical record, from creating the welfare state in the 1940s to introducing child benefit in the 1970s and expanding tax credits in the 2000s. He argues that for a fraction of the £30bn spent on tax credits in 2010, the current government can resume that tradition. He urges action, warning that without it, child poverty will rise to 4.8 million by 2029, and the government will miss its target for school readiness at age five.
