Prime Minister Gordon Brown's commitment to back the anti-poverty fightwith legislation came in his keynote speech to last week's Labour Partyconference in Manchester. However, Barnardo's chief executive MartinNarey, who chairs the campaign to end child poverty, detected signs ofbacksliding. He said, 'I'm concerned that Gordon Brown's reference tothe "long haul" is an admission that Labour will not be making the finalinvestment necessary to meet the 2010 child poverty target.'
The Government has yet to clarify exactly what Mr Brown meant by makingmeeting the 2020 target a legal requirement. A DCSF spokesman said theGovernment was working with stakeholders on a strategy to meet the 2020deadline as well as 'a definition of eradication and how it can bemeasured'.
He added, 'This work will continue and legislation will reflect theconclusions of this. The exact legislative timetable is still to bedetermined, and further details will be announced shortly.'
Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of the Children's Society, warned thatchild poverty could only be halved by 2010 if the Government pledged3 billion in the next budget. He called for support for the EndChild Poverty day of action on 4 October taking place in TrafalgarSquare, London.
But he welcomed the Government's commitment to help the UK's poorestchildren and families through additional nursery places and access totechnology at home. Families who have been identified by local schoolsas having no internet access will be able to apply for vouchers of up to700 so they can get online.
Ross Hendry, head of public affairs and policy at Action for Children,formerly NCH, said it welcomed the commitments and would 'be holding theGovernment to account, to ensure these words are now put intopractice'.
Save the Children's poverty spokesperson Claire Walker said the charitywas 'delighted' that the Government was putting legal weight behind oneof its key targets. She added, 'This will mean that this Government andany future Government can be held to account by the law, ensuring theykeep the promise to lift millions of children out of poverty.'
Kate Green, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, said that'a remarkable political consensus across all parties has emerged aroundthe importance of ending child poverty' and that it would be 'a topissue in every party's manifesto at the next election'.