John Bird

Founder and Editor-in-Chief @BigIssue | Crossbencher @UKHouseofLords

[Educated Podcast @educatedhq]

Episode 11: Baron John Bird

John is co-founder of The Big Issue and a member of the House of Lords.

https://t.co/aCRn2exZ2s

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

I am gifting the government a chance to right the wrongs of their recent strategy and introduce proper statutory targets for reducing child poverty.

https://t.co/CRy1f1mgZj

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

As we enter 2026, I'm calling for government "KPIs" on poverty reduction.

Bold targets overseen by a Ministry of Poverty Prevention, converging Whitehall's energies to dismantle the hardship suffered by millions.

As told to @ashcowburn @DailyMirror: https://t.co/M5Eai51yan

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

Our legendary @BigIssue Christmas special is on sale now.

When you buy your magazine, remember to take it. This may support the vendor financially, but you fail to support the whole reason why they have become vendors of Big Issue in the first place - to work, not beg.

[Sky News Politics @SkyNewsPolitics]

"It took me decades to get out of the trouble of inherited poverty."

Editor-in-chief of the Big Issue @JohnBirdsWords talks to Sky's @DarrenMcCaffrey about tackling the root causes of homelessness.

#PoliticsHub https://t.co/9hC0c09IQA

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602 and Freeview 233

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

This strategy could go deeper into unpicking the systemic factors that leave people facing housing insecurity – and needs to direct more investment in programmes like Housing First which succeed in keeping people housed long-term.

https://t.co/YSbHry55p2

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

It’s essential we turn off the tap if we want to stop the homelessness crisis overflowing.

The government is right to turn their focus to prevention - but this means lifting the poverty leaving millions teetering on the edge of homelessness, not just moving people through it.

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

I'm cheesed off with Westminster's eternal focus on emergency stopgaps meaning no real thinking goes into how to lift people out of poverty.

As I told @TimesRadio earlier:

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

I will gift the government another opportunity to introduce child poverty targets through my returning amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill in the new year.

Surely there is no greater threat to a child’s wellbeing than poverty.

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

The absence of ambitious targets on the child poverty strategy is deeply concerning.

In this challenging economic climate, there is every reason to worry warm words will not translate into tangible progress.

https://t.co/kZTbRecwM5

[Faye Brown @FayeBrownSky]

It's taken 18 months for govt to come up with a child poverty strategy but there's a big feeling from experts tonight that this lacks ambition. Lifting the 2 child cap is a big win - but it's not a 10-year plan, there's no legally binding targets & it mainly contains policies that have already been announced, says @johnbirdswords @ncbtweets https://t.co/1IogfmZb7u

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

You can’t drive seismic structural change with small-scale projects and initiatives, especially on something as huge as child poverty.

I’ll be reacting to the government’s child poverty strategy on @bbc5live at 8:20 and @TimesRadio at 8:30.

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

@mhclg All eyes now on the government to finally deliver a homelessness strategy which eases the pressures that are causing people to lose their homes in the first place.

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

Today's new @MHCLG figures show homelessness in England remains stubbornly high.

I commend this government's record investment in firefighting a #homeless crisis that spiralled under their predecessors, but we clearly need more clever thinking to turn things around.

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

@mhclg In particular, our reliance on temporary accommodation paints a troubling picture.

One of families stuck in limbo, living in costly stopgaps instead of stable homes.

This is not solving homelessness. And its enormous cost is kneecapping local authorities.

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

At last, the two-child limit on benefits will end.

Now we must see a truly bold child poverty strategy with clever thinking on how to open up the pathways that offer our children escape from poverty, not just keep them comfortable in a pre-destined wait for lifelong hardship.

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

The long overdue abolition of the two-child benefit limit will offer relief to thousands of children who have had no choice in inheriting the poverty of their parents, and I warmly welcome it.

https://t.co/4zUy07wvb1

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

In a budget that has required tough choices, the Chancellor is right to prioritise protecting the poorest households, who feel the bite of the cost-of-living crisis more keenly than everyone else.

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

The abolition of the two-child benefit limit will offer relief to thousands of children who have had no choice in inheriting the poverty of their parents.

A situation where young people are punished for the lottery of their birth is intolerable.

[John Bird @johnbirdswords]

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