Catherine McKinnell MP today (Thursday 20 May) challenged the Government to produce a comprehensive strategy to tackle child poverty, after research from the End Child Poverty Coalition highlighted that, in the 5 years before the pandemic, child poverty increased by more in North East local authorities than in any other region.

On Wednesday, Catherine met with the End Child Poverty Coalition who outlined that child poverty had increased to 33% in Newcastle North between 2015-2020. This is an 11.1% increase over the same time period, from 21.5% to 32.6% – the seventh steepest increase of any UK constituency.

Speaking in the House of Commons during the Business Statement, Catherine described the increase as “both shocking and appalling”.

She went on to say “How can the Government possibly talk of ‘levelling up’ when ever-increasing numbers of children and young people in the North East are growing up in poverty on its watch, even while their parents are mostly already in work?” and called on the Government to produce a “comprehensive strategy to tackle child poverty”.