The recent announcement that the numbers of those living in child poverty has increased by 200,000 exposes the worthless promises of New Labour and the system of capitalist exploitation it presides over.
3,8 million children (30% of all British children) live in poverty. This is despite the fact that British imperialism has been plundering the wealth of underdeveloped countries for centuries.
What are their conditions of life?
Many poor children live in badly heated, damp, overcrowded housing. Their parents endure the stresses of debt putting immense strains on family life. This affects the emotional well-being of children. Instability at home affects children’s educational chances. Children born into poor families are more likely to suffer ill-heath in later years and less likely to do well in terms of job and career.
Why does poverty continue to exist?
Poverty exists because our society is divided into classes. The least reward goes to the working class who produce goods and provide services. The most reward goes to the big capitalists (imperialists). Then some goes to those who manage and direct the work of others. Only then do the rest of us get our reward. Child care is the most underpaid and under-valued work of all. Child care is provided for free, the majority of the time by women. When parents do receive social security benefits for childcare these benefits are grossly inadequate. This is why so many who care for children lack the income to provide for them properly.
Gordon Brown-more lies than Blair!
Gordon Brown promised to halve child poverty by 2010. With child poverty increasing not decreasing there’s simply no chance of this happening. History has shown that the rulers of this system have never been able to end child poverty. The only way to end child poverty is to end inequality between rich and poor and re-distribute income and wealth. As Chancellor of the Exchequer ,Gordon Brown is in a position to know this-the relevant figures are at his fingertips. But Brown is part of this system and there is no way he is going to do anything which harms the interests of the rich. Instead we hear promise after promise, lie after lie.
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