The Labour government swept to power in July 2024 promising there would be no return to “business as usual” as it seeks to “break down the barriers of opportunity” and “end ‘sticking plaster’ politics.”
With the government now close to delivering a Child Poverty Strategy and the English Devolution Bill, and with the national commencement of the socio-economic duty (Equality Act 2010, c.1) on the horizon, what does this all mean for anti-poverty activity at the local and regional level? What should the role of subnational government be? How do we begin to build a whole-system approach?
In this report, we seek to answer these questions by presenting our findings and policy recommendations from research conducted with stakeholders from across subnational government, the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector and thinktanks. The role of local government in ensuring effective strategic and practical responses to poverty is well established, however there is less discussion of how best to consolidate and strengthen its involvement. Likewise, the role of regional government in tackling poverty has received relatively little attention, despite the opportunities presented by wider policy reforms.
Our report’s findings begin to address these gaps, seeking to effect change across all levels of government as they grapple with growing poverty rates. It is clear that regional and local government are determined to exercise and expand their role in tackling poverty.
