Our problems of poverty

Published: 31 March, 2011

• YOUR coverage of campaigns to save children’s centres has been counterpointed by some shocking new statistics published by the End Child Poverty campaign (We can keep Acol and Caversham children’s centres open and save £1m, say parents, March 24).

These show that more than half of the children living in my ward are living in poverty – in families where reported income is less than 60 per cent of median income. Across Camden, the figure is 41 per cent, which puts our borough in the top 10.

There’s a clear link here between household income and good affordable childcare. Simply, you can’t look for work if you haven’t got someone to look after your child. 

We’ll continue to argue the case with our cabinet colleagues on behalf of parents in our ward that Acol is worth saving. But we all know that the problem lies with the extent of cuts being forced on Camden by the government.

Despite hundreds of thousands of people marching peacefully through London at the weekend, the government isn’t listening. 

I fear that thanks to the government, child poverty in Kilburn, and Camden, is set to worsen in years to come.

CLLR MIKE KATZ
Labour, Kilburn ward