The cuts that kill

There is a great deal that can and should be said about child poverty, the misery, and the hopelessness it causes.

Growth in child poverty is the consequence of many of this governments actions –from the increase in zero hours contracts and insecure work to austerity and the cut in real wages that continue to be the worst in recorded history.

“I have personal reasons for speaking on this motion and am doing so on behalf of a close friend and fellow activist,” said Bob Collins, Unite delegate.

“Lynne Baird should have been here today as a Unite delegate and wanted to speak herself on this motion but she is arranging the funeral of her son, Dan,” he added.

In early July Dan was out in a Birmingham pub and found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Dan and his friend were stabbed, and Dan’s injuries proved fatal.

This waste of life could have been prevented on many counts.

There used to be 50 licence inspectors in the West Midlands but because of cuts made by the Tories that number is now zero – which allowed this pub to go unchecked for far too long.

There have been huge cuts to the West Midlands police force too. Unfortunately Dan’s killer is still at large.

“I know this motion is about child poverty and I have spoken about other things such as austerity and the low wage economy but I believe they are all linked,” said Collins.

Child poverty disfigures our society and the hopelessness it causes contributes to the events like the one that took young Dan.

“That is why it is important that we as a movement support all campaigns against child poverty and do everything within our power to get rid of this nasty evil government,” he added.

Lynne now campaigns against knife crime with the ‘Dan Baird stop knife crime’ campaign.