Manchester Tops Child Poverty

THE END Child Poverty campaign, has found "gross levels of inequality" across Britain.

The distance from Manchester Central to Hallam is a little over thirty miles as the crow flies but seemingly a world away in terms of child poverty.

The campaign group has found more evidence (as if it were needed) of a North South divide, but also, increasingly, a division between inner cities and county areas.

The information comes from researchers for the End Child Poverty campaign group - a body consisting of more than 100 charities. The key criteria in working out the figures were local tax credit data and regional trends in worklessness. By bringing these together the number of low income families in each area was worked out.

Thus 47% of children in the Manchester Central parliamentary constituency live in households earning less than 60% of median income. Narrowing the viewpoint to council wards delivers figures in some Manchester Central wards of over 50% of children in families earning less than 60% of the median. 

The poorest constituencies are (the figures were collected last year):

• 47% Manchester Central
• 43% Belfast West
• 43% Glasgow North East
• 42% Birmingham Ladywood
• 42% Bethnal Green and Bow
• 42% Liverpool Riverside
• 41% Poplar and Limehouse
• 40% Middlesbrough
• 38% Blackley and Broughton
• 38% Newcastle upon Tyne Central

The least poor constituencies are: 

• Under 5% Sheffield Hallam
• 5% Kenilworth and Southam
• 5% South Northamptonshire
• 5% Haltemprice and Howden
• 5% Rushcliffe
• 6% Wimbledon
• 6% Skipton and Ripon
• 6% Stone
• 6% Beckenham
• 6% South Leicestershire

The distance from Manchester Central to Hallam is a little over thirty miles as the crow flies but seemingly a world away in terms of child poverty. 

One of the messages from the report is that, as stated on the BBC, 'being poor damages childhood and harms children's future prospects. The effects of poverty on UK children's wellbeing (are) parents cutting back on food (61%), skipping meals (26%), not replacing children's outgrown shoes (19%) and winter coats (14%), missing school trips (19%) and having to borrow to make ends meet (80%).' 

Manchester Central is becoming a beacon for bad stats. In the November 2012 by-election that returned Lucy Powell as MP, a mere 18% of the electorate turned out - the lowest in a by-election since World War II.

Perhaps if we dig down the child poverty figures and the low turnout are related: indicating a lack of hope across the constituency.

Meanwhile Manchester City Council have issued us with this.

Councillor Afzal Khan, Executive Member, Children's Services, Manchester City Council, said: "One child or family living in poverty is one too many, and we are determined to change this. 

"Our four year plan, set out in our Family Poverty Strategy, will see us doing everything we can to identify the problems families might be having early on. Helping them to improve their lifestyles, and helping them into work. 

"At the heart of our plan is improving access to things like employment and training and debt advice. Also supporting schools to help further improve pupil attainment, to improve the life chances for young people, and creating the kind of housing and open spaces in which families and their children can thrive. 

"Government cuts mean that we're limited in some of the things we can do, but we will continue to lobby for a fairer deal for all our families and children. 

"We're absolutely determined to do as much as we can to find a way out of poverty for the thousands of families in our city who are, even now, struggling to make ends meet."