Labour has a groundbreaking plan for child poverty. Finally, this government has found its mission | Polly Toynbee

Labour's bold plan to tackle child poverty, touted as the most ambitious since Tony Blair's promise to eradicate it within two decades, has finally come into view. Gone are the days of dodgy benefits cuts and 'Benefits Street'-style moral panics. This Labour government has set its sights firmly on eradicating a problem that has plagued British children for far too long.

According to the latest figures, around 4 million poor children live without the most basic necessities – food, heating, or even internet access for homework. Britain's inequality ranks among the highest in Europe, with our five-year-olds now averaging up to 7cms shorter than their European counterparts due to poverty-related health issues.

A recent report by a thinktank paints a bleak picture of desperate families struggling to make ends meet. Many children are forced to grow up without adequate support or even basic comforts like 'holiday' memories. Yet, unlike previous Labour governments, this one is prepared to confront these harsh realities head-on.

The new strategy promises an annual update on all the causes, effects, and remedies for child poverty. It sets ambitious targets, aiming to lift 550,000 children above the poverty line by 2030 – a feat that no other government has achieved in a single parliament.

But will Labour have enough time to implement these plans? The past is littered with examples of promises made but never delivered. For instance, Tony Blair's initial promise of eradicating child poverty within 20 years had already seen good progress by the halfway mark in 2010.

A crucial factor in Labour's success may be its cabinet composition – a government comprising members from poor backgrounds. This authenticity could prevent their strategy from becoming a one-day policy and instead turn it into a long-term commitment to eradicating child poverty.

The right-wing media has already begun to attack this plan as 'a budget for Benefits Street', attempting to fuel moral panic without acknowledging that benefit costs are not spiraling out of control. In reality, non-pensioner benefits have remained at 4-5% of GDP over the past 40 years.

As Labour's lead authors Liz Kendall and Alison McGovern explain, poverty is a long-term issue that requires sustained effort to address. The key to success lies in making children the focus and purpose of every policy decision moving forward. If this government can manage to put its words into action and make child poverty their top priority, they might finally achieve what previous governments failed to deliver – a Britain where no child grows up without access to basic necessities and opportunities.

im so hyped about labours new plan to tackle child poverty!! i mean, 4 million kids living without basics like food and heating is just insane rn and yeah, britain's inequality ranks super high in europe, thats a fact we need to do better!

i love how labour is trying to make this issue more personal by having people from poor backgrounds in their cabinet tho that authenticity can make all the difference! and omg, tony blair's promise back in the day was already 20 years ago, i feel like we've been living with child poverty for ages lol

i wish they had a clear timeline tho, will they be able to deliver on this plan before 2030? and btw, its so annoying when right-wing media tries to fuel moral panic about benefits but ignores the fact that non-pensioner benefits are actually pretty stable over the years

anywayz, i'm all for labour's focus on making child poverty their top priority if they can put words into action and make it a long-term thing, thats when we'll see real change

The plan sounds ambitious but is it realistic? I'm not sure if 2030 is enough time to lift 550k kids out of poverty, considering the complexity of issues involved. It's easy to promise change, but implementing policies takes time, effort & resources. The government needs to be careful not to oversimplify the problem or create unrealistic expectations.

Also, what about the short-term benefits? Will this plan really make a difference in the lives of these kids today, or just provide a feel-good narrative for next election? I'm also curious to see how the cabinet composition affects policy decisions. If having people from poor backgrounds helps, that's a positive aspect. But let's not gloss over the criticism from the right-wing media either. Can they be taken seriously when they're trying to spin this as 'Benefits Street'?

I'm really impressed by Labour's bold plan to tackle child poverty . It's about time we acknowledge the harsh realities of poverty in this country and take concrete actions to change it for the better. I mean, who wants their kids growing up without a warm bed or decent food on the table? Not me, that's for sure .

The fact that Labour is committed to making child poverty its top priority is music to my ears . It shows they're willing to listen to the struggles of families and communities and make real changes. I love that their cabinet composition includes members from poor backgrounds – it adds a level of authenticity to their plan that's hard to ignore .

Of course, time will tell if Labour can deliver on these ambitious targets . But for now, let's give them some credit for being brave and taking on the tough issues head-on . As the saying goes (or should I say, as the thinktank report says ), poverty is a long-term issue that requires sustained effort to address. So, let's keep our fingers crossed and support Labour's efforts to make child poverty a thing of the past .

P.S. Can we please get some education on how to budget for basic necessities? It seems like a no-brainer, but clearly, it's a challenge many families face .

I'm kinda skeptical about this plan . I mean, eradicating child poverty by 2030 sounds nice, but have we learned from the past? Tony Blair's promise was already met in half the time, but did it actually make a difference? And what's with the cabinet composition being the key to success? Are they really gonna change that much just because some of them come from poor backgrounds? I need to see more substance behind this plan before I get on board.

Ugh I'm just so tired of reading about the same old promises to tackle child poverty . When will we see some real action? I mean, 4 million poor kids struggling with basic needs is already heartbreaking enough , can't they just do something about it already? This new plan sounds good and all, but how long are they actually going to make this happen? The media's already attacking it as 'Benefits Street'... like that's a bad thing . Can't we just focus on the real issue here - helping these kids out?

And don't even get me started on the politicians' promises being broken all the time . I mean, come on, 2030 is just around the corner! We need to see some concrete plans and timelines already . A government with members from poor backgrounds could be a good thing, but it's not going to magically solve everything .

I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out . I hope they actually follow through on their promises this time . It's about time someone started taking child poverty seriously .

The plan sounds super ambitious, but can Labour actually deliver? I think it's awesome that they're putting a human face on the issue by having people from tough backgrounds in key roles . It'll be interesting to see how it plays out. The fact that non-pensioner benefits have stayed relatively stable over the past 40 years is a good sign . But we've seen similar promises made before, so it's hard not to feel a bit skeptical . If they can make it happen and focus on making every policy decision all about the kids, then I think we might see real change