Luton MP warns of ‘Dickensian’ conditions for families living in poverty

A Luton MP has praised the town’s council for its work on tackling poverty issues while warning conditions for some families were almost Dickensian.Sarah Owen

The MP said: “Picture a family Christmas with sparse food on the table. Mum and dad worrying about paying the rent; grandparents shivering in the cold and dark; kids sharing single beds, or sleeping on the floor or in a bathtub.

“That sounds Dickensian, but is in fact the prospect for too many households in Luton as they face hard times this Christmas.

“Bed poverty has a horrific impact on a child’s education and wellbeing that ensures that the cycle of poverty and deprivation continues. We need to break that cycle for good.

“That’s why I’m so proud of the ambitious vision for our town put forward in the Luton 2040 Report. While the Tory government shows no signs of caring about our children’s future, I know our Labour council always will.”

She was responding for the Labour Party to a House of Commons debate on child bed poverty – after a petition calling for a “National Sleep Strategy” to help children living in overcrowded, unsuitable accommodation was signed by over 18,000 people.

The Luton North MP said research has shown that without access to a bed of their own, children can struggle to learn and retain information from school, display poor behaviour, have declining physical health and develop mental health difficulties in adolescence.

The rising levels of child poverty coincide with rising energy bills, new heights of inflation, stagnant wages, and the private rented sector becoming more and more inaffordable.

Speaking as Labour’s Shadow Minister for Local Government, Owen praised the efforts of Luton Council in addressing local poverty issues in spite of persistent funding cuts. The Luton 2040 Report aims to eradicate poverty entirely, and create “a town built on fairness and social justice”.

Lee Rowley, Under Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “A substantial amount of work is going on across Government to provide a system of support for vulnerable children and families, which I hope includes the ability to tackle sleep deprivation and the drivers behind it.”