UK: Children march to No.11 for UK child poverty

Hundreds of people marched on the Treasury in London to urge the government to keep its promises to end child poverty by 2020.

Children and young people presented Chancellor Alistair Darling with a demand asking him to make child poverty his top priority, after a pre-budget report that's disappointing for UK's 3.8 million children living in poverty.

The event, which was organised by Save the Children and End Child Poverty, was held to support the Campaign to End Child Poverty's Month of Action. The Campaign is calling for a £4billion investment to halve child poverty in the UK by 2010 and for a significant amount of this total to be earmarked in the forthcoming 2008 budget.

Phillipa Hunt, UK Child Poverty Campaign Manager at Save the Children, said: "Our child poverty figures are a national disgrace. Alistair Darling cannot ignore the urgent need for this investment of £4 billion to keep the government's promises. Young people today are making their voices heard, it is not too late to sit up and take action now for the millions of children living in poverty in the UK today".

The march was also attended by politicians from all parties. After the march, children and young people met with Mr Darling and Ed Balls at No 11 to ask questions, express their opinions and present a card made by children showing commitment to the campaign.

Hilary Fisher, Director of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, said: "A third of children are living in poverty in the UK today. This has a devastating impact on their lives and society. It is estimated that child poverty is a £40 billion drain on our economy and not addressing it will only make things worse in the future. We need to do something about child poverty now. This is why hundreds of members and supporters of the Campaign to End Child Poverty have joined today's rally to calling on the government to invest in children and provide the £4 billion necessary to meet the 2010 target and keep its promise to millions of children."

The rally, of around 400 people, started at Whitehall at 10.15 am, ending at 11.00 am at Downing St.

More info:
www.savethechildren.org.uk