topbuzz

Calling all decent tax paying citizens, Come and join the march against child poverty.
Starts 1200 BST at Millbank, near Lambeth Bridge, before proceeding to Trafalgar Square for a rally with speeches and entertainment. Speeches to include:

The calling for only £3bn more taxpayers money - "which sounds a lot, but that's less than half of 1% of public expenditure" to be handed out.

How it's unfair to assume that people should realise they need money or even a job to bring up a child.

The grim facts:

* 13,233,320 children in the UK
* 5,559,000 live in low-income families or those in poverty
* In 174 of 646 UK constituencies, over 50% of children in poverty
* 22% of children live in families claiming tax credit
* 22% of children live in workless families
* Worst constituency is Birmingham Ladywood where 81% of children live in or on the brink of poverty

Organisers say they expect thousands to turn out.

BBC NEWS | UK | March urges child poverty action

warrenm2

Or maybe marching against the state paying people to have kids they cannot support? Maybe there wouldnt be so much child poverty then?

Jer

What give the unemployed parents more money to spend on drink and ****. They should give them vouchers or healthy food parcels to stop them drinking and smoking their giro before the kids get any benefit from it.
Did anyone see that jamie Oliver program last week makes my blood boil.

Steve vRS

Somehow, I don't see the Scoobynet make up of this march being huge. Even though most of the parents of the children concerned probably own a 93WRX

Steve

zs_phil

iTrader: (1)

i agree giving them vouchers much better than letting them spend it on booze and drugs because the kids still go without food and clothes .

on my cycle home from work i go past a part of hull that was on tv with the duchess of york fergie and ill tell you all outside of pub with **** and crates of beer popping out of the bottom of prams while the the children are running riot near the main road with the same clothes on as a couple of days ago

Abdabz

I have recently started to question why the state should support anything or anyone at all for anything...
I am starting to wonder what happens where capitalism and socialism meet. For example, in America, state support seems to be minimal, but over here, healthcare, housing, pocket money (dole) etc are the bare minimum.
Who can honestly believe themselves to be creditable citizens of this country and then EXPECT to be funded by the state?
I was brought up to believe you have to work hard to get things in life - not go on marches to demand more money for problems that can be solved by hard work and effort...

Abdabz

PS what is the definition of poverty?

I guess it is having to drink Lambrini, smoke L&B and wear Rockport boots?

topbuzz

The Campaign to End Child Poverty defines poverty as when a family has an average of £10 per person per day to live on, or less.

I'm assuming that this is spare cash as the rent and council tax is paid by us, gas and elec is subsidised if I've read the back of bill's correctly. So all that's left to buy are beers, ****, tattoos and food (in that order).

zs_phil

iTrader: (1)

£10 each per head a day just for food bloody hell get donating then ill get some money ,£280 a week just for food in our house then .


my family lives in poverty then we dont spend half of that a week on food and my kids get proper cooked dinners for lunch and tea

Clarebabes

Typical, throw money at it and it will go away mentality. When will they realise it's a cultural problem? Nothing's going to change as that's how it is. Children will always be dragged into this world when we give the young money to have them. They never worked, and neither will their children, so the cycle goes on. And it's only going to get worse I'm afraid....

RyanSTI

iTrader: (1)

amen brother!

Gordo

They should repeal the child labour laws - at least that way they're be extra wage earners in every household. Seems unfair discrimination to stop kids from working IMO. (It's be great - I could get some of the little ******* to do my weeding then!).

cster

It would appear most people on here don't think you can cure poverty with money.
I must say I that they are right.

Martin2005

I think it's a real shame that the contributors to this thread (so far) believe that ALL people living below the poverty line are there of their own choice. Do any of you have any substantive facts to back this assumption up?

Of course there are plenty of bad examples out there but it makes my blood boil that we seem happy to punish children for the actions of their parents.

We are about to enter a eriod of higher unemployment, do we then assume that this is due to more people wanting to scrounge or because harding working people have lost their jobs? Is your (Daily Mail) view that these people too should have the safety net pulled out from under them too?

topbuzz

If losing your job for a while drags you into poverty then I'd say they weren't set-up for parenting in the first place.

Martin2005

So punish the child?

topbuzz

If we stop rewarding and unconditionally supporting the irresponsible parents with money/ houses there will be less children being Punished as you put it. They'll see no point in having children if you get nothing extra out of the government. Child poverty will drop and people will learn to pay for things again out of their own wages instead of mine.

Martin2005

That of course is making the MASSIVE assumption that child poverty is caused by irresponsible parents.

Most of stuff on this thread is just the usual right wing, poorly thought out nonsense you'd read in the Daily Mail

Jer

Go on then, give us an example. I am trying to think of a situation were a child lives in poverty when one or both parents are on benefits if they are responsible parents.

topbuzz

Not sure how being sick of people ripping the country off and then saying " Won't someone please think of the children" is Right Wing. If I'd called for Social Cleansing (Brazilian death squads style) then yes I'd have to agree.

Martin2005

Well here's just a few for you, although I'm astonished you can't think of any yourself.

Loss of job
Illness - bread winner
Injury
Death - of parent
Bankrupcy
Divorce

Is it that people like to use these steriotypes because it makes them feel better knowing there are folks worse off than them, then stigmatising everyone who needs help so you can then justify doing *** all about it???

Martin2005

There you go again - WHO IS RIPPING WHO OFF? everyone in need or just some???

topbuzz

People who have children and have no means or contingency plan should anything happen to pay for their welfare.
See post above regarding losing job and falling into poverty.
It's not rocket science to workout that if you don't own your own house or private rent a suitable property, have a strong relationship with a long term partner and to be able to hold down a reasonably paid job or jobs you're not set-up to be a parent. Kids are not cheap and people ignoring the points above are making it more expensive for everyone else. Get setup in life first and provide a decent setting for the child.

Martin2005

Yes this all very well but life just isn't like that is it?

I'm still not sure what your solution to this 'problem' is?

Jer

Nonsense, with all these situations you can get benefits and remember benefits are means tested. I would not class as living on benefits as living in poverty. Working or not, spending all their money on booze and **** and neglecting children yes the children could be are living in poverty. No amount of government money is going to change this.

Martin2005

Well whether you class it as living in poverty or not is frankly irrelevant.

I really don't understand who you are talking about if poverty doesn't include people who are claiming benefits - do you mean there are people out there not claiming benefits and yet still somehow 'scrounging'?

Please stop all this 'spending money on booze and ****' nonsense unless you can back that with some facts

PeteBrant

Ever had to survive on benefits?
Yes, because *all* people on benefits spend it on booze , **** and neglect thier children.

Martin2005

Oh good the cavalry has arrived

evening Pete

PeteBrant

I tired to resist, I really did, I didn't want to post in here, but I had to reply to that one.

I am comfortable in the knowledge that we will always have some form of contribution to the common good, and no amount of bellyaching from demonstrably somewhat selfish people wont change that. I am sure they will be pleased of the saftey net is god fobid they ever have to claim some form of benefit.