The government should act immediately to halt rampant levels of child poverty across Cornwall, say two Labour Parliamentary candidates in Cornwall, after a new report revealed the shocking extent of the problem.

Research by the Action for Children charity, shows that child poverty in Camborne and Redruth in  2021/22 had reached 30.4% of all children living in the constituency, a staggering  5,099 children living in poverty. In Truro and Falmouth, 4,075 (26%) of children were living in poverty.

This is replicated across Cornwall as a whole:  in 2021/22, there were over 32,000 households (13%) suffering from fuel poverty, and over 15,000 children (20%) eligible for free school meals.

Perran Moon, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Camborne and Redruth said: ‘The levels of child poverty in the constituency are eye-watering, in more ways than one. And what I find most galling is that this poverty is a political choice. The government could close tax loopholes for the super-rich and the put money that it will raise into free school meals, as Labour has committed to. The Conservatives choose not to. The government could introduce a proper windfall tax on the obscene profits of the oil and gas companies and put the money into reducing people’s heating bills, as Labour has committed to. The Conservatives choose not to.’

Jayne Kirkham, the Labour Parliamentary candidate for Truro and Falmouth said: ‘After 13 years of Conservative government, what is so clear now to people across Cornwall, from all walks of life, is just how utterly out of touch the Conservatives are. They have the levers to reduce levels of poverty, to minimising the cost of living crisis without putting any more strain on the economy. That they choose not to, starkly highlights the gulf between the priorities of the Conservatives and those of the Labour Party.’

All worked out? The limits of work as a route out of poverty and hardship Action for Children, February 2023