Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer launched the political party’s manifesto earlier today in Manchester.
It includes plans to reduce child poverty, working with the voluntary sector, faith organisations, trade unions, businesses, devolved and local government and communities to develop an ‘ambitious’ strategy.
Action for Children criticised Labour’s proposed strategy to reduce child poverty, however, claiming it ‘won’t get off the ground until they ditch the cruel two-child limit and benefit cap policies’.
The charity urged Labour to ‘think again’ and said it wants to see all political parties commit to ending child poverty in the UK ‘once and for all’.
Labour has also said it if were to win the General Election next month, it would make sure the minimum wage is a ‘genuine living wage’. It says it would change the remit of the independent Low Pay Commission so for the first time it accounts for the cost of living.
The party would also remove ‘discriminatory’ age bands so all adults are entitled to the same minimum wage, which it believes would benefit hundreds of thousands of workers.
The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said any increase to the minimum wage must be factored into early years funding rates.
To ‘make work pay’ and further tackle poverty, Labour will review Universal Credit and end ‘mass dependence’ on emergency food parcels, which it calls a ‘moral scar on society’.
The manifesto sets out other plans, many of which were previously announced by the party, including:
- Opening an additional 3,000 nurseries in primary schools – utilising unused classrooms.
- Replacing Ofsted’s one word judgement with a new report card system and introducing a new annual review of safeguarding, attendance and off-rolling.
- Promoting numeracy and improving the quality of maths teaching in nurseries and primary schools.
- Funding evidence-based early language interventions in primary schools.
- Introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school.
- Recruiting 6,500 new teachers in key subjects.
Both the Early Years Alliance and NDNA argued that addressing the early years workforce crisis and funding for places must be a priority for the next government, both of which are not mentioned in Labour’s manifesto.
Speech and Language UK said that whoever forms the next government will need to go further than committing to evidence-based early language interventions in primary schools with better training for early years staff and teachers so they can identify and support children struggling with talking and understanding words.
