Thursday 8 November 2007

The End Child Poverty campaign continues

I appreciate that last blog was probably of no interest at all to anyone except me!

Had a busy day today in Westminster, starting with a child poverty rally/ march through Whitehall. Must have been several hundred children and Save the Children supporters there, marching round the Treasury, with balloons and whistles, singing 'Oh my Darling' for Alistair's benefit.

We then convened at No. 11 Downing Street, where I chaired a Question Time type session with Government ministers. 25 children, aged from 6 to 16, were given the chance to put questions to Alistair Darling, Ed Balls, Peter Hain and Jane Kennedy. They asked about issues like housing, food, school meals, youth crime, and what the Government is doing to meet its child poverty targets.

The Chancellor confirmed that the Government is still absolutely committed to meeting the 2010 target of halving child poverty, even though it's going to be difficult. (It's a relative poverty target, which means that it gets harder to meet as the country becomes more prosperous and income levels rise). Lots of media interest too, which all helps to keep the issue on the political agenda.

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