London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

UK Labour leader grills conservative govt for ‘inadequacy’ over child poverty during pandemic & pushes for £15bn recovery fund

UK Labour leader grills conservative govt for ‘inadequacy’ over child poverty during pandemic & pushes for £15bn recovery fund

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer criticized UK PM Boris Johnson’s Conservative government for their ‘catch up’ plan to help students recover from missed school hours, while pushing for a £15 billion recovery fund.

Keir Starmer tweeted on Thursday that British children have lost over eight weeks of face-to-face teaching this year, and 14 weeks last year.


“The Tories’ catch-up plan is so inadequate that their own catch-up tsar resigned,” he said.

Starmer – the successor of far-left, anti-establishment former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – said the Conservative government needs to match Labour’s ambition for British children by backing their £15 billion Children’s Recovery Fund.

The proposed fund is aimed at fighting the increase in poverty among children in the UK, which the Labour Party claim is the fault of the ruling Conservatives.

According to the ‘Children’s Recovery Plan’, 700,000 British children have been pushed into poverty since 2010, and in the past year, half a million children are estimated to have become eligible for free school meals.

“The Conservatives should be ashamed of this record,” it reads.

Negative reactions to Starmer’s tweet are somewhat reflective of the turbulent nature of British politics, especially following Brexit.

Several people asked Starmer where the £15 billion would come from and whether it would require cuts to other sectors.


Another told the Labour leader that he “can’t just keep inventing large figures,” and that the UK borrowed “over 400 billion to deal with the pandemic,” a figure which is somewhat in line with BBC reporting that stated from April 2020-21, the UK borrowed £299 billion to deal with the pandemic.


One person responded by saying, “the problem is, that you are a Tory Sir,” referencing Starmer’s Oxford education and ‘soft left’ alignment compared to Corbyn’s more radical positions.


The Conservative Party has been in power since 2010. Led by Boris Johnson, they successfully campaigned in 2016 for Britain to leave the European Union, causing a huge divide between ‘Remain’ and ‘Leave’ voters. The next general election is in 2024.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×