In response to the publication of the final report on the scale of poverty in the United Kingdom by the UN’s Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, Labour’s London Assembly Economy Spokesperson, Leonie Cooper AM, said:
“Almost a decade of Government austerity has left our public services broken and plunged thousands of Londoners below the breadline.
“This is a damning assessment of the appalling legacy left by relentless Government cuts and underfunding, which has widened the gap between the rich and poor and stunted inclusive growth in our capital.
“The Government cannot afford to ignore this resounding wake-up call, nor can they continue to shift their duty of care to the most vulnerable in our society to the already stretched third and public sectors.
“As matter of urgency, I will be asking the Mayor of London to lobby the Government to reconsider their disastrous welfare reforms, confront the scourge of in-work poverty and properly invest in our communities”.
ENDS