Anti-poverty strategy: Stormont to sign off plan after 18 years
The minister previously described the document as a "realistic" but long-term plan to tackle poverty.It must be signed off by ministers before it can go out for public consultation.It will then return to the executive for any final changes to be considered before Stormont departments can begin to implement it.Recent figures from the Department for Communities (DfC) suggest about 22% of children in Northern Ireland are growing up in poverty.The figures also indicate that about 23% of children are in relative poverty and about 20% are in absolute poverty.
What is the Stormont anti-poverty strategy?
The anti-poverty strategy is a requirement inserted into the Northern Ireland Act, following the St Andrews Agreement in 2006.There have been multiple court orders and legal challenges made as no strategy has ever been implemented in Northern Ireland.In January, judgment was reserved in a recent legal challenge brought against Stormont for "failing to adopt" an anti-poverty strategy for Northern Ireland.Two months later at the High Court in Belfast, Stormont's Executive Committee was found in breach of its legal obligation to adopt a strategy.
How is poverty measured?
There are two main measurements of low income used by the government, absolute poverty and relative poverty. Income is counted as the money a household has to spend after housing costs are taken into account.Absolute poverty measures how many people this year cannot afford a set standard of living. The Department for Work and Pensions at Westminster currently defines it based on the living standard an average income could buy in the year ending in March 2011. If your income is 40% below this, after adjusting for rising prices since then, you are classed as living in absolute poverty.Relative poverty is the number of people whose income is 40% below the average income today.An individual is considered to be in relative poverty if they are living in a household with an income below 60% of the typical UK income.This is a measure of whether those in the lowest income households are keeping pace with the growth of incomes in the population as a whole.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Sultana: Corbyn 'capitulated' on antisemitism definition
Jeremy Corbyn "capitulated" over the definition of antisemitism while leader of the Labour party, fellow MP Zarah Sultana has Labour MPs Corbyn and Sultana launched a new political party less than a month ago, which they said would change politics, and oppose government policy on to the New Left Review, Sultana praised Corbynism's mass appeal, but said he "capitulated" to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism, saying it equated it with criticism from Jewish groups, with the Board of Deputies of British Jews calling her words "a grave insult", Sultana posted on social media that she was a proud anti-Zionist. Asked how the new party would adapt the model of radical politics Corbynism set out a decade ago, Sultana said he had made "a serious mistake" in being too said: "We have to build on the strengths of Corbynism – its energy, mass appeal and bold policy platform – and we also have to recognise its limitations. "It capitulated to the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which famously equates it with anti-Zionism, and which even its lead author Kenneth Stern has now publicly criticised."Sultana added the movement was "frightened and far too conciliatory" when it was attacked and should have recognised that the state and the media "are our class enemies" because, she said, "you cannot give these people an inch".In 2018, Labour's ruling body, the National Executive Committee, agreed to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism into its code of conduct, after months of the time, Jewish groups attacked an accompanying statement saying "this will not in any way undermine freedom of expression on Israel or the rights of Palestinians".The IHRA's working definition of antisemitism is the internationally accepted standard definition, adopted by the government and most British the guidance on its application, it includes holding Jews responsible for Israel's actions, and comparing its policies to those of the Nazis, as antisemitic Stern, who was one of the people involved in drafting the definition, has since criticised how it has been used, including in the UK, to chill free speech, arguing that "anti-Zionists have a right to free expression".However, Labour Against Antisemitism co-director Alex Hearn said Sultana's objection to the definition of antisemitism was "unsurprising given her history", dismissing her as an "extremist"."Without a proper definition, the unlawful harassment suffered by Jews could continue unabated, as it did during Corbyn's tenure of the Labour Party," Mr Hearn said."The three authors of the IHRA definition have stated that Kenneth Stern was not even an author, let alone 'lead author'. "Exaggerating his role is a tactic to give undue weight to his controversial views." Mr Hearn added he hoped Sultana would "remain on the fringes of politics for the remainder of her career, which is where her extremist views belong".The vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Andrew Gilber, said the definition was also "supported by the overwhelming majority of British Jews as it is clear and measured in defining antisemitism"."Calling the recognition of the IHRA definition of antisemitism a 'capitulation' is a grave insult," he said. "Labour's real betrayal under Corbyn was unlawfully harassing and discriminating against Jews. "Those who seek to delegitimise and mis-define the IHRA definition in this way prove themselves to be no friend to the Jewish community and also call into question their wider commitment to anti-racism, the wellbeing of the Jewish community and social cohesion." Responding to the criticism, Sultana posted on X rejecting "smears" and challenging journalists to print that she is "loudly and proudly... an anti-Zionist".In a second post she added: "Legacy media are not our allies. They are the mouthpiece of the ruling class."And how many of them have spoken out against Israel's genocide in Gaza and the direct targeting of Palestinian journalists?"You cannot give these people an inch. Their smears won't work this time."Corbyn's rejection of the IHRA definition was a defining factor in his political downfall from the Labour Party, despite his popularity with many on the left of the stepping down as party leader following his second general election defeat in 2019, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) investigated the party's handling of complaints under his Corbyn rejected the human rights watchdog's critical findings that there had been three breaches of the Equality Act during his tenure, claiming complaints had been "dramatically overstated" by political successor Sir Keir Starmer suspended him from the party and Labour's ruling NEC later banned him from standing for the party in the 2024 general election, leading to him standing as an independent MP.A Labour source said: "The electorate has twice made their view clear about a Jeremy Corbyn-led party."Keir Starmer's Labour Party rightly tore antisemitism out at its roots. Corbyn almost led the party to extinction. We're not going back." Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
Telegraph
28 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Protester arrested over ‘Plasticine Action' T-shirt
A protester has claimed he was arrested for wearing a 'Plasticine Action' T-shirt. Miles Pickering, an engineer from Brighton, was one of 532 people arrested at a demonstration in Parliament Square, central London, on Aug 9. He had been arrested under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which makes it an offence to wear anything supporting a proscribed organisation. Mr Pickering was not wearing clothing supporting Palestine Action, but a T-shirt declaring opposition to 'AI-generated animation' complete with the stop-motion character Morph giving the thumbs up from inside the letter 'O'. Palestine Action was proscribed by the Government in July after admitting that activists broke into RAF Brize Norton. Membership and support of a proscribed group can carry sentences of up to 14 years in prison. The protester later told The Guardian that an officer had glanced at his top and told him 'right, you're nicked' before taking him to Scotland Yard. He said a throng of cheering supporters had gathered by two gazebos where police were processing those arrested. 'They were taking photos of me, and everyone was laughing at how silly it was that I was getting arrested for being a plasticine terrorist,' he said. The engineer claimed a senior officer had enquired about arresting him under section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which could have brought a more charge of supporting a proscribed group. But the arresting officer is said to have intervened after noticing the exact wording of the shirt. 'He said: 'I've got good news and I've got bad news.' I said: 'What's the good news?' He said: 'I'm de-arresting you.' 'And I said: 'What's the bad news?' He said: 'It's going to be really embarrassing for me.' And then I walked free, while all the real heroes are the people that are actually getting arrested. Mr Pickering has now started selling the T-shirts to raise money for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, and hopes to see a number of people wearing them at the next organised protest against the ban on Palestine Action on Sept 6. 'There's people getting on this one, because it kind of works, doesn't it?' he said, adding: 'If 1,000 people wander around the Palestinian march wearing a T-shirt that says Plasticine Action with a picture of Morph, what are they going to do?' More than 700 people have since been arrested for supporting Palestine Action. The Met Police said more than 100 people hauled away by police on Aug 9 were over 70, with the average age of those arrested being 54. Officers arrested 263 men, 261 women and eight people who either defined themselves as non-binary or did not disclose their gender. Those arrested included Moazzam Begg, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee who was once accused of being a member of al-Qaeda. In June, Joe Farley was arrested at a silent demonstration in Leeds for holding a sign that displayed a joke from Private Eye. Ian Hislop, the satirical magazine's editor, described the 67-year-old's arrest as 'mind-boggling'. Last month, Sir Keir Starmer announced that the UK would recognise Palestinian statehood unless Israel agreed to a lasting ceasefire, granted entry to hundreds of aid trucks and signed up to a two-state solution.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Council leader says Millais School in Horsham will admit boys
A girls' school in West Sussex is to accept boys for the first time from September next decision to make Millais School co-educational has been made by Paul Marshall, leader of West Sussex County authority first mooted the move in 2024 but abandoned its proposal earlier this year after concerns that information linked to the consultation behind it was "incorrect and misleading".The school's board had also opposed the reforms, but Marshall has now said he "strongly believes it's the right decision". It comes after the latest full consultation was held between 19 June and 18 July, which considered all representations and those to an earlier, informal said the change would address the issue of falling pupil numbers at the school, relieve pressure for additional secondary school places across Horsham and tackle the inequality of choice available for boys and girls in the described Millais School as "very good" but "undersubscribed for the past four years" and that letting in boys would make it "more sustainable".Year 7 boys will join the school from 2026, while current year groups will continue as county council said it would work closely with school staff to ensure the move to become co-educational was "as seamless as possible". Millais School first expressed its determination to remain a single-sex school in 2024, when it published a policy paper that claimed there were "huge social and emotional benefits" for pupils at girls' schools. It added the council's proposals represented a "very major change" to the school's March, the school also accused the local authority of conducting its consultations "with a preferred outcome already in mind".Millais School has been approached for comment.
