New Prime Minister, Same Promise? Don't Let the Child Poverty Strategy Be Forgotten

The change in Prime Minister worries me, not because of the individual, but because of what it could mean for families like mine. Over the past decade we've seen Prime Ministers come and go. With every new leader comes a new set of priorities, new announcements and new policies. But children growing up in poverty don't get a fresh start every time someone moves into Downing Street.

Changing Realities spent months contributing to the Child Poverty Strategy. Parents living on low-incomes have shared deeply personal stories, attended meetings, completed consultations and worked alongside officials because we believed our voices mattered. We gave our time because we wanted to help create solutions that would make life better for children.

Now I'm worried that all of that work could be pushed aside.

Every time political leadership changes, there's a risk that strategies are delayed, rewritten or replaced altogether. That doesn't just waste government resources - it wastes the time and trust of families who have already given so much in the hope of creating lasting change.

For families living on low incomes, this isn't about politics. It's about whether our children get the opportunities they deserve.

Child poverty doesn't pause because there's a new Prime Minister. Parents don't suddenly find it easier to afford food, heating, school uniforms or childcare because there's been a change in leadership. The challenges remain exactly the same. The Child Poverty Strategy must be bigger than any one Prime Minister.

My child, and millions of others, cannot afford for this strategy to become another political promise that never reaches the families it was meant to help. That's why my message to the new Prime Minister is simple: don't let the Child Poverty Strategy, and promises made, be forgotten.