Chris Leslie MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to the publication of child poverty figures, said:

“These statistics show a depressing lack of progress we should be making as a country towards the abolition of child poverty in the UK.

“The Government needs a serious strategy to address low pay and boost productivity, rather than ‘redefining’ the child poverty statistics and pretending the problem has just gone away.

“A plan to reduce child poverty is needed now, rather than threats to cut £5 billion from tax credits which would mean 3.7 million working families losing, on average, £1,400 a year. That will not address child poverty – it will add to it.

“Ministers should now take responsibility and tackle low pay, not attack the low paid.”