‘Labour must put tackling child poverty at the heart of our future – that’s why we back Bridget Phillipson’

Throughout the race to be Labour’s Deputy Leader, LabourList will be publishing a range of pieces from supporters of both candidates as well as offering a platform to both Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell to share their pitch to Labour members.

As Labour mayors we see every day the toll child poverty and inequality take on our communities. It’s the biggest barrier to opportunity in our regions and the clearest sign of a country that has been held back for too long. As a united Labour Party, in power again for the first time in over a decade, we have a historic chance to tackle child poverty and build opportunity for the next generation. We can’t waste it. That’s why the deputy leadership contest must not be solely about internal politics – it is about what direction this Labour government takes.

Relentless focus

For us all, that must mean a relentless focus on tackling child poverty and creating opportunity for every young person. Bridget Phillipson has embodied that relentless focus as Education Secretary, delivering for our regions by being a strong voice at Cabinet speaking up for children and young people right across the country.

READ MORE: Deputy Leadership election: Follow CLP support with our nominations tracker

Too many families are struggling. In cities, towns and villages, across our regions, children are turning up to school hungry. Parents are desperate to do more, but the cost-of-living is squeezing families. Teachers step in to fill gaps that should never really exist in a fair society. We can not hope to prosper if we write off millions of children. Tackling child poverty is a moral duty but it is also an economic necessity if we want Britain to succeed.

Labour has always been the party of fairness and opportunity. Today that means building a future where no child is denied the chance to thrive because of the circumstances of their birth. The fight against child poverty is not separate from our mission to grow our economy – it’s the foundation for it. Healthier children become healthier adults. Families free from constant insecurity are better able to work and contribute. And opportunity fuels growth.

Turning Labour values into policies

That is why Bridget Phillipson’s voice matters. She knows from her own experience what it takes for children from working-class families to succeed. And she has already delivered real change for families across Britain – ending tax breaks for private schools and building a school system that works for every child, securing free school meals, rolling out 30 hours of funded childcare for children under two, offering breakfast clubs to thousands of primary school children, capping uniform costs and putting money back into families’ pockets. She has made clear she is thinking every single day about how to lift children out of poverty, including looking at the two-child benefit limit – nothing is off the table. She has shown she can take Labour values and turn them into policies that make a difference to real lives.

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As Mayors, we know what we can do locally, but we also know what needs to happen in Westminster. National leadership is vital. We need someone at the very top of the Labour Party – and of government – who is laser-focussed on delivering for families. Someone who will fight child poverty every single day and who will not be distracted by the noise of Westminster politics. Bridget Phillipson has already proven she will do just that.

This deputy leadership election simply cannot descend into a Labour on Labour brawl. This is too important a moment to become about factions. It’s about the future of Britain’s children. Reducing child poverty is the test Labour cannot afford to fail.

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And as we look ahead to the next election, we know the path to victory runs right through our regions. It demands a deputy leader looking outwards not inwards. A deputy leader focused on hope, on opportunity and delivering from the Cabinet for the whole country. That is why we – as Labour mayors who see the impact of Government policies every day – are backing Bridget Phillipson to be Labour’s deputy leader.

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