Lord John Bird, the founder of the Big Issue, has expressed his goal of tackling poverty during his time in Parliament. He advocates for the establishment of a dedicated government department focused on eliminating poverty in the UK, proposing it be named the “ministry of poverty prevention and cure.”
Lord Bird highlighted the absence of a specific government department dedicated to eradicating poverty since the establishment of the welfare state post-World War II. He criticized the current Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for primarily functioning as an “emergency department” rather than actively addressing the root causes of poverty and preventing its intergenerational cycle.
Emphasizing the need for concrete government targets on child poverty, Lord Bird urged for legally binding objectives similar to those set by the net zero law. He plans to push for his proposed amendment on children’s wellbeing and education in the House of Lords in the upcoming New Year session to hold the government accountable for progress in poverty reduction.
Lord Bird views these targets as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the government’s effectiveness in addressing poverty and improving outcomes for disadvantaged individuals. He stressed the importance of tangible actions over superficial discussions, advocating for substantial changes to uplift the poorest members of society.
In response to Lord Bird’s stance, a government spokesperson defended ongoing efforts to combat poverty, citing initiatives such as raising the national living wage and reducing energy bills to support low-income families. The government aims to lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030 through various measures, including abolishing the two-child limit and implementing significant employment reforms to enhance opportunities and living standards nationwide.