What can be done to decrease the percentage of children in poverty in our area?

Poverty is about how a society allocates what resources it has. We are born into a society to which we contribute as we can, with the expectation that what we do will benefit said society. In return we expect the society we are a member of to support us and our families when we need it. This is a simple contract.

Where it gets complicated is when there are individuals or groups within a society whose contribution is rewarded in such a way that there are insufficient resources to support those in need. This is exacerbated when individuals can move those resources out of a society's jurisdiction or avoid making a contribution that can reasonably be expected of them.

Dealing with such national and international level issues at a local level isn't easy. It's possible though to create circumstances that reduce their effects. Key to this is giving people the chance they need to get well paid work. This is especially vital now, as we live with the consequences of years of sustained attacks on our safety net, not to mention Brexit.

To get work, people need local jobs. For that they need employers to want to come to our area. Key to this will be the infrastructure they need to do business. This includes decent roads that aren't full of potholes, high speed broadband and services that support such businesses and their employees.

Such services also include schools and surgeries, as well as retail and leisure offerings. These are the areas where the local council should be intervening to make our area that bit more attractive. Of course, the ideal solution would be an end to austerity, rebuilding our safety net and ensuring big business pays tax in the UK. But this can only be solved nationally and internationally.