Shocking news on poverty....more news Gordon Brown wants to bury?

The figures have just been published.......100,000 more children living in poverty, a shocking 3.9 million. And the first increase in pensioner poverty since 1998, an additional 300,000 bringing the total to 2.5 million. Kate Green from the Child Poverty Action Group is calling for a further £3 billion to be spent on tax credits and benefits. What is disturbing is that these figures are from 2006/7, with the huge jump in the cost of living there is no doubt it will be even worse now.

But these figures are not just a problem for the government, they are a problem for us as we go round promising tax cuts at the same time as being committed to tackling poverty. Ultimately they will also be a huge problem for the Tories, wanting to cut taxes at the same time as presumably crying crocodile tears over these figures.

Frankly we have a choice. Ending child poverty, youth poverty, pensioner poverty will cost. If we are serious about it we need to have a serious look at either reordering our priorities, or reviewing our tax policy. What's that saying about not having your cake and eating it?