Northolt West End Labour Councillor Bassam Mahfouz contacted the Ealing Gazette to provide them with information to highlight the level of local child poverty.

Cllr Mahfouz said,

“When I saw the child poverty statistics for Ealing I knew we’d be quite high, but this is not the sort of league table you want to be top of. This is a real problem locally with child care costs and high rents on private properties making it difficult for some parents to get off benefits and into work. The government has done a lot in the past ten years which has made it easier for parents to get into work and to make that work pay. The country’s first ever minimum wage; child tax credits; record levels of employment; free and affordable childcare places and projects like Sure Start are making a real difference in Northolt.

The level of child poverty in this country was the worst in Europe. Now child poverty is falling faster than in any other European country, but the work to eradicate child poverty continues until EVERY child has a fair start at life and the Work & Pensions Minister’s announcement a fortnight ago of further measures will mean that we continuing working towards it.”

Read the full two-page spread this week’s Greenford & Northolt Gazette