MORE than one in three children in Leicester are living in poverty, statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions have revealed, writes Tess Rushin.
The city was the 11th worst local authority area in the UK, with 39.5 per cent of under 16s meeting the criteria in 2023-24. This has increased from 38.7 per cent in the previous year.
Across the UK, the local authority ranked worst was Pendle, in Lancashire, which had a child poverty rate of 44.6 per cent It was followed by Bradford at 44.2 per cent and Oldham at 42.9 per cent.
Relative low income is defined as any family claiming child benefit and at least one other household benefit (such as universal credit, tax credits or housing benefit) at any point in the financial year, the Press Association (PA) reports.
A Leicester City Council spokesperson said the authority was determined to work closely with partners to make sure people’s lives in Leicester were not blighted by poverty.
They said: “There’s a huge amount of work going on locally to help tackle what is significant issue, not just in Leicester, but in all UK cities.
“This includes a range of support such as the promotion of free school meals, debt and budgeting advice, and help to ensure that people are receiving the benefits they are entitled to.”
Across the UK, the number of children living in poverty reached a record high in the year to March 2024, with 4.45 million children estimated to be in households in relative low income. This latest figure is the highest since comparable records for the UK began in 2002-2003, PA said.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has insisted the government’s plans to support people into work “will result in more people having fulfilling careers paying decent wages and, of course, that’s the best way to lift families out of poverty”.
However, the government’s own impact assessment, published last month, estimated welfare reforms could see 250,000 more people, including 50,000 children, fall into poverty by 2029-2030.
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.