Child poverty in Cambridge

[Guest Stephen Turner]

Taken from a report in the Cambridge Town Crier, ©

SHOCKING new statistics show more than 2,600 children in Cambridge are living in poverty.

Figures from housing charity Shelter, reveal the massive gap between the rich and poor in the City, with 18% of youngsters relying on benefits.

In the Abbey district, 495 children-31% of the total living in the Ward-have to survive below the poverty line, and more than 26% of youngsters in East Chesterton, and 28% in Kings Hedges, are forced to exist in impoverished conditions.

This is despite Cambridge workers earning on average £33,000 ($50,000) a year-above the national figure, according to the wealth of the Nation report 2005, And the city having more multi- millionaire professors than any other in the country.

David Howarth, Liberal democrat MP for Cambridge said the figures were "shocking" and demanded action to tackle poverty in the city, he said, "We need a renewed commitment to fairness in the tax system, so that fewer of our children are allowed to fall though the gaps"

Councillor John Hipkin, Lib Dem Mayor said that the figures were "absolutely dreadful" and blamed the inequality on an unfair tax system, He said " the thing about poverty in Cambridge is that all perceptions of poverty are relative. People always compare their incomes with those of other people in their own City, and in Cambridge this is a particularly cruel business as it is an extremely prosperous City.

This is MY City, where myself, my partner and my Daughter live, and work, we are doing nicely, but thanks to the inherant inequalities of the capitalist system thousands of my fellow Cambridgians are not, and it sickens me. How many more hard won rights, and freedoms are we to lose to the freemarket dogma. Anyone for Victorian values, and living standards?

[John Simkin]

This is MY City, where myself, my partner and my Daughter live, and work, we are doing nicely, but thanks to the inherant inequalities of the capitalist system thousands of my fellow Cambridgians are not, and it sickens me. How many more hard won rights, and freedoms are we to lose to the freemarket dogma. Anyone for Victorian values, and living standards?

This is true of every town and city in the UK. The gap between the rich and poor is the greatest it has been since the 19th century. This after nine years of a supposed Labour government. No wonder Margaret Thatcher said her most important legacy is New Labour.

[Guest]

This is true of every town and city in the UK. The gap between the rich and poor is the greatest it has been since the 19th century. This after nine years of a supposed Labour government. No wonder Margaret Thatcher said her most important legacy is New Labour.

Indeed.

Some observers have commented that there is "no ideology" left in british politics. Unfortunately there is plenty and it is all of the free market capitalism persuasion.

The leader of the once socialist Labour Party now repeatedly tells his members to "think the unthinkable" which roughly translated means think like a Thatcherite.