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The majority of voters want the UK’s political parties to set out how they will end UK poverty, a new survey for the Get Fair campaign reveals today.
As politicians gather for the annual party conference season a new poll by YouGov shows a total of 51 per cent of people - evenly spread across gender, age group, social class and region - say they would be more inclined to vote for a party that takes ‘serious measures’ to eradicate poverty.
The poll for Get Fair, a new coalition of more than 50 charities and faith groups, also shows only 2 per cent think poverty doesn’t exist with just 8 per cent thinking nothing can be done.
Nearly 90 per cent of respondents identified what they would like to see done to tackle poverty. Over two-thirds, 69 per cent, say the most effective way to tackle poverty is through more and better training to help people out of poverty, with 36 per cent highlighting Government intervention as the key to helping the poorest.
Get Fair, whose members include Help the Aged, Oxfam, Shelter, the Disability Alliance, Save the Children, YWCA and the Refugee Council and voluntary and community groups, commissioned the poll to launch its campaign today. It aims to secure the commitment of all major political parties to deliver on their existing commitment to end child poverty by 2020, and to extend this goal to ending poverty across every generation in the UK.
With 1 in 5 already living in poverty in the UK, the coalition warns that poverty is closer than most people think. As more and more of the public are financially crippled by soaring fuel bills, higher mortgage payments and rising food prices, it is the poorest who are hit hardest.
Fran Beckett, Chair of Get Fair and community campaigner, said: “These results send a clear warning that voters want and expect our political parties to set out exactly how they will address poverty so that we have a real social safety net. Making Britain a fairer place should be one of the key political issues that parties discuss during their conferences over the next few weeks.”
Get Fair vice-chair Vanessa Stanislas, chief executive of the Disability Alliance, said: “The UK is becoming richer but not fairer, with one in five people now living in poverty in the world’s 5th richest country. The majority of British people want a fairer society and this poll suggests that they will reward the political party which has the confidence to tackle poverty.”
Shelter chief executive Adam Sampson said: “Every day Shelter sees more and more ordinary people who are falling into poverty after becoming victims of Britain’s economic downturn. This poll is very important because it shows people of all ages, regions and social classes want something done and are prepared to vote with their feet.”
Paul Cann, Director of Policy and External Relations at Help the Aged, says:
“It’s high time all political parties committed to tackling poverty in the UK. It is nothing short of a disgrace that in the sixth richest country in the world, 822 pensioners are forced into poverty on average each day. Once people on fixed incomes find themselves living below the breadline, it is virtually impossible for them to pull themselves out of poverty. Concrete measures, such as the automatic payment of benefits, are needed now.”
Kate Wareing, Oxfam’s Director for UK poverty, says: “It is completely unacceptable that more than 13 million people live in poverty in the UK – the fourth richest country in the world. This new poll shows that the majority of British people agree. No one should be forced to live in poverty, whether they are a child, adult, or pensioner – and whether they are in or out of work and Oxfam calls on politicians of all parties to agree bold measures to tackle poverty.
Ends
1. Get Fair is a new campaign coalition of over 50 NGO’s and faith groups aiming to eradicate poverty in the UK by 2020 (for more information about the campaign, including members go to www.getfair.org.uk.
2. The YouGov poll for Get Fair was undertaken between 22nd – 26th August. The total sample size was 2,017 adults. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
3. Get Fair is calling on all political parties to commit to concrete measures to ensure:
4. Get Fair stats on poverty:
5. The Get Fair coalition is supporting the Keep The Promise rally, organised by End Child Poverty on 4th October 2008 ( Trafalgar Square)
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