Your location: Call for action to end UK poverty
12 September 2008
Political parties have been urged to set out how they would alleviate poverty in the UK, with the majority of voters viewing this as a key polling issue.
Ahead of the annual party conference season, a new YouGov survey reveals a total of 51 per cent of people say they would be more inclined to vote for a party that takes ‘serious measures’ to tackle poverty.
The survey for Get Fair, a national alliance of over 50 charities and faith groups, highlights widespread concern among the public with only 2 per cent declaring poverty does not exist.
Most respondents identified measures to best help create a fairer society: 69 per cent think the most effective way is to make more and better training available to help people out of poverty. While 35 per cent see Government intervention as key to helping the poorest.
With 1 in 5 of the UK population already living in poverty and with the increasing burden of financial pressures brought on by rising fuel and food bills and higher mortgage payments, Get Fair is calling on politicians to commit to ending poverty by 2020.
Shelter, a member of the coalition, heralded the findings as ‘very important’. Chief executive Adam Sampson said: ‘Every day Shelter sees more and more ordinary people who are falling into poverty after becoming victims of Britain’s economic downturn.’
Referring to the poll results, Mr Sampson added, ‘people of all ages, regions and social classes want something done and are prepared to vote with their feet.’
