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CAP in Sheffield gets "full support" from MPs for Poverty Pledge
The CAP group in Sheffield have lobbied their MP and a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate as part of the Get Fair Constituency Lobby, and gained enthusiastic support.
CAP in Sheffield persuaded their MP and PPC to take the pledge.
On 22 June, Richard Caborn MP and Paul Blomfield, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Sheffield Central, made a commitment to measures to bring an end to poverty in Britain by signing the Get Fair poverty pledge.
As part of a national lobby organised by the Get Fair coalition, local constituents from the Sheffield Church Action on Poverty group met with Mr Caborn and Mr Blomfield. They expressed their concerns about poverty and inequality in Sheffield, growing unemployment and the enormous waiting list for social housing (19,000 active bidders for rehousing). They said that, with 1 in 5 already living in poverty, the recession is hitting the poorest the hardest.
Paul Blomfield said: “The Get Fair campaign has my full support and I’ll be lobbying to build on the measures already taken by the Government to tackle poverty. In particular I want to see action to build more affordable housing and create a fairer tax system. All politicians must do everything we can to meet the Government’s target of eradicating child poverty by 2020 and to reduce poverty throughout society.”
Richard Caborn also agreed to sign House of Commons Early Day Motion 1529: “This House believes that as the fifth largest economy in the world it is unacceptable that 12.8 million people, 1 in 5 of the population, are living in poverty in the UK; further believes that with the economy in recession and rising unemployment the Government must commit to measures that protect the poorest in our society; and supports calls by the Get Fair coalition of charities, faith and community groups for the Government to increase levels of income to a minimum living standard for a lasting reduction in poverty in the UK.”
