Commenting on the Prime Minister’s address to Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The NEU is disappointed that the Prime Minister insisted on sticking to the fiscal rules and so firmly ruled out a wealth tax. Growth in the economy requires strong public services and schools need an injection of funding to stop further cuts to provision.
“The NEU welcomes the PM’s clear rejection of the politics of hate and division. Every time a politician scapegoats refugees and migrant workers, there is a rise in racist incidents in schools. Words have real world consequences.
“The Prime Minister’s focus on ending child poverty was welcome. However, people will be forgiven for thinking we have heard these warm words before.
“We need to see some definitive action that will make a real difference to the millions of children and young people who live in Dickensian levels of poverty. There are many levers that can be pulled. The introduction of free school meals for all children from households on universal credit was a good first step but this needs to be extended to all children. Keir Starmer could also get rid of the two-child benefit cap and make an immediate difference.”