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Miliband backs MEN’s anti-poverty campaign

Labour leader Ed Miliband has given his backing to a Manchester Evening News campaign to cut the number of children living on the poverty line.

The MEN revealed last month that 42pc of the city’s children were living in households with an annual income of less than £12,600.

Speaking to the newspaper during his party’s annual conference in Manchester, Mr Miliband said lifting children out of poverty would be a priority for the next Labour government.

And he congratulated the paper for highlighting the issue which he described as a “timely reminder for all politicians about how much families are really struggling.”

Mr Miliband said:  “I’m backing the Manchester Evening News campaign to highlight and combat child poverty.

“The campaign has shown shocking figures about what is happening in Greater Manchester in terms of children living in poverty in families that are working and families that aren’t.

“It is an incredibly important campaign. It’s something the next Labour government will ensure is a priority as we seek a country that is fairer, more just and more equal.”

“It would definitely be an objective of our government to reduce child poverty. It’s a shocking indictment of what is happening at the moment in Britain.”

The MEN compiled a special supplement on the child food-poverty scandal which was handed to Mr Miliband and Labour delegates at the conference.

In it the newspaper detailed the numerous stories published over the last two weeks highlighting the issue and the campaign, including parents going without food so their children can eat.