The Giga Poll - Report - Page 5
BY GORDON BROWN
IN the last 15 years, the number of
foodbanks have rocketed from 35
to 2,600. This nationwide explosion
in emergency food aid has been
followed by the opening of bedding
banks, hygiene banks, clothes banks,
furnishing banks and baby.
As charities have replaced
universal credit as the last line of
defence against poverty, over the last
three years have seen the creation of
The Multibank, which takes a holistic
view of the needs of a family and
tries to offer not just a safety net,
but by relieving household material
poverty, a springboard for raising
children out of poverty.
Today one million UK children
are living in near destitution,
lacking either shelter, food or basic
essentials. Two million children are in
homes without a washing machine,
cooker or fridge and will rarely eat
freshly cooked or hot food. Three
million children are skipping meals
and 4.5million of them are officially
in poverty.
How millions have suffered as a
result of a decade-and-a-half of Tory
rule is laid bare by today’s poll. It
shows how shameful Tory policies
have systemically impoverished
families and denied the malicious
child poverty creation consequence
of their two child only benefit rule,
which has caused continued and
enduring impoverishment of families
with more than two children.
So it is no surprise to those of
us working to combat poverty in
Britain that 9% of us feel financially
desperate, unable to afford essentials
such as food or rent. Three million
children are subject to extreme
hardship such as skipping meals and
parents missing rent payments.
Also causes for concern are:
the 25% of us – more than
Cut poverty to make
life fairer for millions
BY PAUL NOWAK
TUC General
Secretary
EMERGENCY FOOD:
Demand has soared for
foodbanks across the UK
14million UK adults – who feel
worried about their financial
future and are unable to plan
ahead because they can’t afford
basic essentials.
the 30% of us - about 17million
– who are having to cut back on
everything other than the basic
necessities of life.
the 29% of us – around
16.5million – who are just about
managing to set something aside
for a rainy day, knowing it means
being extra careful managing the
weekly budget. So as the Giga Poll
shows, people are now placing
their faith in the Child Poverty
Review, commissioned to their
credit by Keir Starmer and Rachel
Reeves after last year’s election.
It is soon due to report with
recommendations to ease family
poverty and millions of families
know this is our best chance of
making Britain a fairer place.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is
also President of The Multibank charity
WHY YOU SHOULD TAX ME MORE
BY DALE VINCE OBE
FAIR PLAY:
Wealth tax is the
answer says Dale Vince
Time to give
workers the
rights they
truly deserve
TAX the rich and start with me – I’m
one of the top 100 tax payers in Britain
by the way.
I don’t use offshore holdings, shell
companies or trusts to avoid tax.
I think people like me should pay
more. That’s not something you hear
often – it’s not something Farage can
say.
Millions of people in our country
live in poverty, struggling with the cost
of living. While a few thousand people
have unimaginable wealth.
Our tax system is prejudiced. If you
can invest money to make money your
tax rate will be half as big as if you make
money in a job. That’s an outrage.
Our Giga Poll shows that 75% of
Brits think this is an issue and a wealth
tax is an answer.
A tiny 2% tax on wealth above
£10million would affect only 20,000
people but would raise £24billion a
year.
Imagine what we could fund with
this...the two child benefit cap? No
problem – and £22billion left in change.
We need to reform our tax system
– and that friends is something Farage
and Reform will not call for.
FOR too long, our economy has
been rigged against working people
– with ordinary workers shouldering
all the risks while dodgy bosses
take the rewards.
Right now, over four million
people – one in eight workers – are
stuck in insecure jobs. No stable
hours. No sick pay. No safety net.
Just constant uncertainty and the
daily grind of trying to make ends
meet without any control over your
future, your time, or your dignity.
These aren’t just numbers – they’re
people.
A mum skipping meals to make
rent. A young worker waiting by the
phone for a shift that may never
come. A carer forced to choose
between going in sick or losing a
day’s pay.
This isn’t just bad for workers.
It’s bad for our country. Economic
insecurity seeps into every part of
life – straining families, fracturing
communities and fuelling distrust in
our democracy.
It creates resentment, anxiety
and a sense of powerlessness. But
we have a chance to change that.
The Employment Rights Bill now
in Parliament is a landmark step
forward. It would ban exploitative
zero-hours contracts, outlaw the
disgraceful practice of “fire and
rehire,” and protect workers from
unfair dismissal.
As the poll shows, it’s supported
across the political spectrum –
especially among Reform-leaning
voters.
This is a moment for leadership.
For ministers to go out and
champion this change. Because
while Nigel Farage likes to pose as
a workers’ friend, he told his MPs
to vote against this Bill and against
stronger protections for millions of
working people.
Let’s make sure no one forgets
that. The labour movement – unions
and Government – is strongest
when it’s bold and ambitious.
That means strengthening
rights at work, taxing wealth fairly
and investing in secure, decent
jobs everywhere. That’s what real
change looks like. Working people
have waited long enough. Let’s
deliver it.
MONDAY 29.09.2025
