Calls to action for Gordon Brown
Save the Children calls on Gordon Brown to kick off a radical new agenda for children
Wednesday 27 June 2007
As Gordon Brown prepares to take office, Save the Children identifies four of the key issues affecting children in the UK and around the world today where urgent and specific action from the Prime Minister could make a real and tangible difference to children's lives.
- In the UK, new Save the Children research has revealed that 1.3 million children are living in severe poverty
- Every year in the UK, the Government locks up around 2000 asylum-seeking children damaging their mental and physical health
- In Africa, 800 children die every day because they don't have access to free healthcare
- Around the world, millions of children are bearing the brunt of humanitarian crises, for example in Darfur and the Middle East, which could be better helped, or has been exacerbated by, UK foreign policy.
Save the Children calls on Gordon Brown to kick off a radical new agenda for children during his first hundred days by specifically addressing these four key issues affecting children now.
- Introducing seasonal grants for the UK's poorest children
Save the Children is calling on the Government to introduce seasonal grants for low-income families. These could lift over 400,000 children out of poverty and should be part of a wider investment of £4 billion, which is needed to meet the target of halving child poverty by 2010. - Immediately ending the detention of children in the asylum process
The detention of children must end and alternatives should be immediately introduced. Other Governments such as Australia have ended this practice in favour of alternative methods. Currently, the UK can treat asylum-seeking children differently from citizen children because they have entered a reservation under the UNCRC. This must end immediately and all children should be treated equally. - Creating an action-plan to tackle outrageous levels of child mortality in Africa, through international backing of African health plans
Gordon Brown must follow his success on education internationally by showing immediate UK support for African led development of their health services based on the African Health Strategy. He must also galvanise EU support on international development through strengthening the EU/African Union relationship. - Signalling his intention to conduct foreign policy that is more driven by humanitarian concerns
The UK's reputation as a humanitarian actor is heavily tarnished because of foreign policy decisions since 9/11. Gordon Brown should signal his intention, through decisive action or the clear expression of principles, to demonstrate that his foreign policy will be humanitarian, guided by human rights and global justice, considerate of child rights and multi-lateral.
"Gordon Brown has always said that children will be a priority in his Government. His record as Chancellor and his pronouncements on the campaign trail give us hope, but we're watching his first hundred days to see if the rhetoric is underpinned by the much-needed radical policy agenda. The new Prime Minister has an opportunity to change millions of children's lives: he must show he is up to the challenge", said Jasmine Whitbread, Chief Executive of Save the Children.
