"A snapshot of what’s wrong with our country. Don’t tell me all kids matter when millions of our poorest kids live in life-changing (for some, life-ENDING) poverty, but these are the issues and kids making front pages (see also the hundreds and hundreds of frankly-deranged private school VAT stories).
106 kids A DAY have been pushed into poverty since Labour came to power, just by the two-child limit. By the time this page one is replaced by another tonight, another 106 kids will join them, thanks to the ‘sadistic’ policy govt so far won’t kill (their word, BTW). 10,000 kids forced into poverty in a few months - it barely made a headline when @cpag_uk reported it.
I’m a journalist and can say that our national media’s neglect of child poverty is shameful. No reflection of a real-world issue impacting millions beyond SW1, no challenging of myths and harmful/false rhetoric, no pressure on government to halt clear injustice, never mind just commitment to TRUTH, interrogation of the biggest public health issue of our age.
But it’s only poor kids, right? And their mams and dads. Not like they’re gonna do owt, be owt. Fuck em. A drain! (This last one said to me recently).
How do we sleep soundly when kids don’t have beds, shoes, central heating, food; don’t have peace of mind, don’t feel safe, know the country and govt don’t think they’re worth enough to save? When the deaths of *babies* in deprived areas is on the up, up, up? Just, you know, wondering how many kids in poverty have to die for them, for us, to give a fuck. Anyone? Because if *they’re* negligent, WE don’t have to be."
