Crossbench peer and Big Issue founder, Lord John Bird, has declared that his central mission in Parliament is to "dismantle poverty" and is once again pushing for the creation of a new government ministry solely dedicated to this cause.
A Lifelong Mission Born from Experience
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, the 79-year-old peer, who was born in a Notting Hill slum, stated he entered the House of Lords with a clear objective. He argues that Britain has lacked a dedicated government department focused on poverty eradication since the creation of the post-war welfare state. Lord Bird proposes a "ministry of poverty prevention and cure" to fill this void.
He was critical of the current approach, describing the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as functioning like an "emergency department" rather than an institution designed to break the cycle of deprivation. "It's not a department that says 'OK, how can we prevent the inheritance of poverty'," Lord Bird explained, highlighting systemic failures that see poverty leading people into the prison system.
Demanding Concrete Action and Legal Targets
Lord Bird, who founded the Big Issue with Gordon Roddick in 1991, is also reiterating his demand for the government to adopt concrete, legally binding targets on child poverty. This call comes despite the government publishing a major child poverty strategy in December, which includes a blueprint to lift over 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030 through measures like expanding free school meals and scrapping the controversial two-child benefit limit.
However, Lord Bird insists the government must go further. He wants to see statutory duties on poverty reduction, similar to the legal framework for net zero emissions. In the New Year, he will attempt to force the issue by pushing his amendment on the Children's Wellbeing and School Bill again in the Lords. "We've done it already - but we're going to have another go," he told The Mirror.
He described these targets as essential "Key Performance Indicators" (KPIs) to measure progress transparently. "It passes over to you and me the chance to say how well is this government doing - rather than relying on chit-chat on breakfast TV," he added.
A Personal Crusade for Systemic Change
When pressed on whether this was a personal mission, Lord Bird was unequivocal, referencing his maiden speech. "I am here to dismantle poverty. I'm not here to keep the poor comfortable," he stated. He emphasised the urgent need for concessions to improve the quality of life for the poorest in society, framing his work as a continuous fight for systemic change.
In response, a government spokeswoman highlighted existing actions, including increasing the national living wage and providing energy bill support. She stated: "This Government is tackling the cost of living and poverty head on... However we know we must do more, which is why we are tackling poverty at the root cause... with a wider package of measures that will bring 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030."
Despite these assurances, Lord Bird's campaign underscores a significant political debate about whether current measures are sufficient or if a fundamental restructuring of Whitehall's approach, through a dedicated ministry, is needed to truly eradicate poverty in Britain.
