Labour's poverty failure 'risks driving voters to Reform UK', warns Big Issue founder

Big Issue founder Lord John Bird has warned that Labour’s failure to tackle poverty while in power is driving voters to Reform UK.

YouGov polling for Big Issue showed that 68% of Reform UK supporters believe Labour is failing on poverty.

That comes as 72% of all Brits disapprove of Keir Starmer and co’s approach to poverty. There has been an 18% rise in disapproval in the eight months since YouGov last asked the public for their thoughts on the issue. Back in September 2024, only 54% of Brits felt the government wasn’t doing enough for people in poverty.

Poverty looks set to rise in future with changes to the winter fuel payment, benefit cuts and the continued adoption of the two-child benefit cap forecasted to increase poverty.

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Lord Bird is calling on the government to take greater action on poverty. The crossbench peer is submitting an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would force the government to set targets that will hold them to account on child poverty. The amendment has been supported by the National Children’s Bureau.

Lord John Bird said: “As the local elections showed, the big question for Labour is how to stop losing their voters to rival parties – most significantly, Reform UK. That’s no easy task when so many issues divide the British public, but our poll shows on one thing they are united – there must be more done for the 14 million people in poverty in this country.

“My amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would mean all future governments will be held to account on reducing child poverty. Incorporating it into the bill would signal to the UK public that this government is finally taking poverty seriously.”

YouGov polling shows an increasing number of Brits are facing poverty.

A total of 44% of Brits said they would struggle to pay for basic necessities such as housing, food and utilities within just a single month of unexpectedly losing their income. That figure rises to 48% for adults under 50.

The research reveals sweeping regional differences in the precariousness of people’s personal financial situation across the UK, with more than half (54%) of people in Wales and 49% of Londoners saying they’d be unable to pay for these necessities within the month of suddenly having their income taken away, compared to 42% in the rest of the South of England and 41% in Scotland.

A census of Big Issue’s UK vendor network published concurrently reveals that more than two-thirds (68%) of its magazine sellers are worried about affording their basic necessities.

Big Issue is campaigning for a wider ‘Poverty Zero’ law. The proposed legislation would lead to the establishment of statutory poverty reduction targets, similar to net-zero targets. 

Each government would need to set these targets and they would become legally accountable when they assume office.

Paul Cheal, CEO of Big Issue Group, said: “Poverty is a problem that touches everybody. The issues it throws up are already destabilising our wider society, from the growing welfare bill to our overburdened public services. And as our new poll shows, more people than ever are close to the brink.

“Across all areas of the Big Issue Group, we’re working to end poverty. Whether it’s with our vendors out earning on the streets, with the candidates engaging with us to find work, with people being supported by the innovative organisations we’re investing in, or with the readers of our groundbreaking social justice journalism – Big Issue is using all the resources at our disposal to do our bit in the fight against poverty and inequality.”

You can back Big Issue’s campaign for poverty reduction targets here. 

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