Why Child Poverty Is An Independence Issue For Wales

Hello there. Hope you're feeling today.

Biggest news here in Wales yesterday was that a new study by charities shows that Wales is the only nation in this Disunited Kingdom where child poverty has increased.

Three in ten children were in poverty for the period 2017-2018. Almost a third. Let's pause there and repeat the last part again. Almost a third.

The Welsh Labour National government and the Conservative Westminster government blame each other. But let's be clear here.

Both are to blame.

As I've explained in my post on the Independence march both parties have in their own way have hampered Wales' advancement as a nation either through curtailing of important infrastructure projects or in the sheer incompetence of how education is handled here. Consequently opportunities have decreased. Consequently with financial uncertainty for the disunited kingdom as a whole Wales finds itself more disadvantaged than most. Consequently families, even working families, battle against poverty. Consequently there is an increase in Child poverty.

There is also the question of Universal Credit. Poor families seeking state assistance facing regulations best described as sub-Victorian.

So in a climate such as this for children to have opportunities to show their potential and escape this poverty as adults have reduced. Thus the vicious circle for the next generation continues and increases.

Depending on the area the children live growing up in poverty is not the exception. It's the norm.

These areas also are deficient in other key benchmarks for a decent society. Such as transport for example.

And a lack of educational opportunities for Welsh children will mean that they will be not only tied into poverty but also tied into the Serf nation mentality that it has had to bare for centuries.

The Welsh Labour government are setting themselves targets to reduce child poverty. But they've set targets before, which have not been reached, whereupon they blame the Westminster Tory government. Targets therefore, certainly Welsh Labour targets, are pointless.

Therefore whilst every measure should be introduced to deal with this issue if the Unionist parties continue to act as they have been then the only long-term solution to poverty in Wales, whether of the young or the not so young is independence.

For with independence a Welsh government will be able to look at the problem through solely a Welsh perspective without having to look over it's shoulder and across a bridge.

Of course as I've said before in this blog independence will not be an immediate panacea for all ills. But what it will provide is the perspective of people living in Wales not the imposition of a government far, far away.

So child poverty is an independence issue for Wales. For without it, the future for generations to come is looking very unpleasant indeed.

Until the next time.