Lord John Bird demands Labour set child poverty reduction targets in Children’s Bill amendment

Big Issue founder and crossbench peer Lord John Bird has tabled a new amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to try and force the government’s hand in doing more to fight rising levels of child poverty – warning that Labour will not hold back the rise of Reform UK at the next general election unless they act now.

Lord Bird has proposed a new clause to the bill, which is currently being prepared for scrutiny at committee stage in the House of Lords. The amendment, which is being backed by the National Children’s Bureau, one of UK’s leading children’s charities, would place a new duty on the government to set targets for the reduction of child poverty.

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Lord Bird said: “As the local elections showed, the big question for Labour now is how to stop a mass exodus of its supporters defecting to their rivals. That’s no easy task when so many issues divide the British public, but as our recent YouGov poll showed, on one issue they are united – there must be more done for the 14 million people in poverty in this country.

“My amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill would mean all future governments will be held to account on reducing child poverty. It would hold this government’s feet to the fire in taking long-term, truly preventative action for the 4.3 million children in this country who currently live in poverty – and signal to the UK public that they are finally taking poverty seriously.”

Last week, Big Issue published an exclusive YouGov poll which showed that 72% of all Brits surveyed think Labour should be doing more in their approach to poverty in the UK. Supporters of all major political parties agree in the majority that the government isn’t doing enough in this area – including Reform UK supporters.

More than two-thirds (68%) of Brits who say they support Reform UK believe the government should be doing more to tackle poverty in the UK.

Public disapproval on the issue has risen by 18% in just over six months; when the Big Issue last had YouGov poll this question in September 2024, only 54% of Brits felt the government weren’t doing enough for people in poverty.

Big Issue is campaigning for a wider ‘Poverty Zero’ law – the establishment of statutory poverty reduction targets, similar to Net Zero, which each government would need to set and would become legally accountable to when they assume office. Lord Bird’s amendment represents a first, significant step towards adopting this wider policy.

Thirty MPs from across the party spectrum have already stated their support for the campaign, and the Big Issue is now inviting the public to show its support by signing a new petition.

Anna Feuchtwang, chief executive of the National Children’s Bureau, said of Lord Bird’s amendment: “Legally-binding targets to reduce child poverty will help turn political rhetoric into actual change in people’s lives. Either the government fulfils its manifesto pledge and holds itself accountable for creating a society where all children can thrive, or we risk child poverty continuing to rise over the next four years.

“Only by committing to long-term measurable goals can we prevent poverty being a political football and systematically address the root causes of poverty, provide better support for families, and lift children from the poverty trap that undermines them in almost every area of life.”

The public can back Big Issue’s campaign for poverty reduction targets here.

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