General election: Child poverty could reach 60-year high under Conservatives, report warns

The party’s manifesto, for the 12 December election, would not change existing policy meaning relative child poverty could reach 34 per cent by 2023/24, think-tank the Resolution Foundation said. In its report The Shifting Shape of Social Security, the organisation warned that none of the main parties’ manifestos would reduce child poverty from the current rate of 29.4 per cent by 2023/24. Researchers claimed that under Labour’s manifesto 550,000 fewer children would face poverty than under the Conservatives. Under Labour’s plans, which include spending around £9bn on social security, the rate of child poverty would increase just slightly to 30.2 per cent by 2023/24. Read more.