A Tory MP was overheard calling a Labour MP’s constituency a “s**thole” after he raised the difficulty of poverty – with many pointing the finger on the new Home Secretary.
MP for Stockton North Alex Cunningham requested the PM: “Why are 34% of children in my constituency living in poverty?” A voice from throughout the House of Commons can then be heard saying “sh**thole”. Multiple Labour MPs stated they believed it was James Cleverly who made the remark.
Mr Cleverly strongly denied the declare. Asked whether or not he made the remark, his spokesman stated: “He did not, and would not. He’s disappointed they would accuse him of doing so.”
Mr Cunningham stated he was “assured” the remark had been made by the Tory minister. He stated it “shames” Mr Cleverly and known as on him to “apologise without reservation” . The Labour MP informed the Mirror: “This comment shames the Home Secretary, the government and his party and he should apologise without reservation. And after he has done that he should visit my constituency, learn about the poverty but also see for himself what a great place it is to live.”
In response to Mr Cunningham’s query on baby poverty in his space, Rishi Sunak stated: “It’s this Government that has ensured that across our country 1.7million fewer people are living in poverty.” MPs jeered on the PM and Mr Cunningham shouted again in return: “That’s not true.” Mr Sunak stated: “Yes, that is true. Not only that, hundreds of thousands fewer children are living in poverty and income inequality is at a lower level than we inherited from the party opposite.
“But we do not need any baby to develop up in poverty and one of the best ways to be sure that occurs is to make sure they don’t develop up in a workless family and that’s the reason the precise technique is to make sure that we offer as many kids with the chance with develop up with mother and father in work.”
There were 4.2 million children – or one in three kids – living in poverty in the UK in 2021/2022. This is up from 3.6 million in 2010-11. Around 350,000 more children were pushed into poverty last year, according to the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG).