Catherine McKinnell, Member of Parliament for Newcastle North, has challenged the Government on the lack of action to address child poverty in their Levelling Up White Paper.

Responding to the Government’s Statement on the Levelling Up White Paper, Catherine highlighted the impact that child poverty has on health, education and life chances.

Catherine outlined that “even before the pandemic two in five children and young people in North East England were growing up in poverty”.

Challenging the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, Catherine added “it’s hard to understand why this White Paper doesn’t address the issue of the lack of cross-Government strategy to tackle child poverty”.

Concluding her question, Catherine highlighted that “if levelling up is to mean anything, surely it must mean tackling child poverty in the North East”.

Following her question, Catherine commented:

“We had the Integrated Rail Plan betrayal, and now, after years of waiting for today’s White Paper, we have seen once again that this Government is all bluster and no delivery.

“Under this Government, we have seen the number of children and young people in the North East growing up in poverty rising, giving us the second highest and fastest rising child poverty rate of anywhere in the country.

“Talk of ‘levelling up’ is meaningless when children and young people in the North East are having their life chances held back by ever-increasing numbers growing up in poverty”.