News

Parties divide on child poverty action call

September’s Council meeting saw division over a call for stronger action to fight child poverty in Newham, reports Peter Landman

An image of three coloured speech bubbles

The Council meeting in September divided along party lines over a call for stronger action to fight child poverty in Newham. 

A motion was presented by Councillor Nate Higgins of the Green Party calling for the introduction of free school meals for secondary school children, the scrapping of the two child benefit cap, and resumption of the £20 top-up to universal credit introduced during the Covid period. The motion was supported by Newham Independents. 

Higgins spoke of his own experiences growing up as one of seven children and the hardships that were faced by families. 

He told councillors that free school meals for secondary children could be paid from the six million pounds freed up as result of the Mayor of London taking up payment for free primary school meals. 

He made a passionate appeal to Labour Councillors, to take what he believed was a last stand, but Labour, which had faced a challenge over the two-child benefit cap in Parliament, also refused to be moved in Newham and the proposal was defeated. 

The Mayor responded that she had trust in the Government’s Child Poverty Working Party 

Councillor Sarah Ruiz, Deputy Mayor, said that, at present, the Council could not afford to provide free school meals for secondary school children, but the Council was helping families and children in poverty in other ways. 

For more information email: Sarah.ruiz@newham.gov.uk


No news is bad news 

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts. 

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less. 

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation. 

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit 

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else. 

Donate now with Pay Pal

More information on supporting us monthly or annually 

More Information about donations