Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has launched a powerful intervention, demanding the Chancellor uses the upcoming November budget to make a 'cast-iron commitment' to eradicate child poverty in the UK. He describes the nation's spiralling poverty levels as a 'moral emergency' that can no longer be ignored by Westminster.
In a stark warning, Brown highlighted that four million children are now trapped in poverty, a crisis fuelled by the ongoing cost-of-living catastrophe. He argues that the political calculus has changed, and the government can no longer claim the issue is too difficult or expensive to fix.
The Human Cost of Political Inaction
Brown's plea is not based on mere statistics but on the grim reality unfolding across the country. He points to the explosion in the use of food banks, with teachers now routinely stocking supplies for hungry pupils and headteachers becoming 'unofficial poverty relief agents'. This normalisation of deprivation, he warns, is scarring a generation.
A Clear Demand for the Autumn Statement
The former Labour leader is calling for decisive action from Chancellor Rachel Reeves. His demands are clear and targeted:
- An immediate commitment to end child poverty, making it the central focus of the November budget.
- Concrete policy proposals to reverse the damaging two-child benefit limit and other welfare cuts that have pushed families into destitution.
- A recognition that investing in children is not an expense, but a crucial investment in the UK's future economic stability and prosperity.
From 'Political Hot Potato' to National Priority
For decades, Brown argues, child poverty has been treated as a 'political hot potato', with governments of all stripes passing the blame. He insists this must end. The economic case is undeniable: poverty costs the public purse billions through increased NHS pressures and lost economic potential. He concludes that the Chancellor has a historic opportunity to define her legacy by finally tackling this scourge head-on.
