Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission

On the 17th October 2013, the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission published it's first annual report. It's Chair Alan Milburn (pictured left) delivered a speech outlining the Commissions findings and recommendations. Having discovered the writings of Edward Cadbury (pictured right) from the beginning of the 20th Century, I found the parallels very interesting. Here are a few excerpts from Milburn's speech, with quotes from Edward Cadbury in blue text :

"Today child poverty is overwhelmingly a problem facing working families, not the workless or the work-shy. Two-thirds of Britain’s poor children are now in families where an adult works. In three-quarters of those households someone already works full-time. The principal problem seems to be that those working parents simply do not earn enough to escape poverty."

"When the labourer cannot maintain himself at a reasonable standard of decency and comfort, the decline in industrial efficiency is rapid."

"Today the UK has one of the highest rates of low pay in the developed world. Five million workers, mainly women, earn less than the Living Wage."

"Reformers realise that something more radical than charity is needed, that soup kitchens and even doles by municipalities are not sufficient"

"The taxpayer alone can no longer afford to shoulder the burden of bridging the gap between earnings and prices. We conclude that Government will need to devise new ways of sharing that burden with employers in a way that is consistent with growing levels of employment. Making headway on reducing poverty and improving mobility requires a fresh settlement between what the state does, what the market does and what the citizen does."

"We must recognise that any trade that does not pay a living wage to its workers is a parasite on the community" 

"Employers will need to more actively step up to the plate. Our key recommendations are that, firstly, they will need to provide higher minimum levels of pay and better career prospects, enabled by higher skills. Secondly, we call on half of all firms to offer apprenticeships and work experience as part of a new effort to make it easier for those who aren’t going to university - “the other 50 per cent” - to pursue high quality vocational training. Thirdly, we call on the professions to to end unpaid internships and recruit from a broader cross-section of society than many do at present."

I find it somewhat depressing that we face the same issues 100 years later, and there are still voices airing their concerns and offering solutions, who will no doubt be ignored. The need to bow to that "unrestricted competition" that Cadbury warned about is still paramount for modern politicians. I wonder what would have happened if Edward Cadbury had been listened to?

Here are links to two related articles on the BBC News website. The first about the increase in the use of food banks, the second a report on Alan Milburn's speech.