‘Ending child poverty’ in the United Kingdom: lessons from New Labour’s strategy

In 1999 then British Prime Minister Tony Blair committed his Government to a “mission to eradicate child poverty within a generation.” Between 1999 and 2010 the number of British children living in “relative” poverty fell from 3.4 to 2.6 million and some 2 million children had moved out of “absolute” poverty. This article considers how child poverty was measured and progress tracked in the UK. It also reviews the design, delivery, and impacts of some of the key policies through which the strategy was pursued, including welfare to work and “make work pay” programs, increased financial support for low income families, and investments and improvements in early years provision for disadvantaged children. Finally, the article reflects on some lessons of relevance to those advocating child poverty reduction strategies in other countries.