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'Bringing emotion and reality to the debate on child poverty.': one conference attendee's experience - LabourList

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Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 7d

A father from CR attended the Labour Conference this week. He reports of "a sense of duty to speak to my own personal experiences in order to bring some emotion – but also some everyday reality – to the urgent challenge of driving record rates of child poverty down".
labourlist.org/2025/09/chil...

Jonny Roberts has come to conference to share his experience of being a single dad - and call for Labour to take bold action on child poverty.

labourlist.org

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Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 7d

Jonny from CR spoke on a CPAG panel at the Labour Conference today. As published in @bigissue.com, Jonny says "The most depressing truth about child poverty isn’t how many children are in it, it’s how easy it is for the government to lift so many out."
www.bigissue.com/opinion/sing...

I'm a single dad asking Keir Starmer to do more to tackle child poverty

Jonny Roberts is a single parent with two children. He is speaking at a Child Poverty Action Group event at the Labour Party Conference.

'Bringing emotion and reality to the debate on child poverty.': one conference attendee's experience - LabourList

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Reposted by Changing Realities

Kitty Stewart @kittyjstewart.bsky.social · 7d

labourlist.org/2025/09/chil... Great piece by Jonny Roberts of @changingrealities.bsky.social But looks like the battle to end the pernicious two child limit goes on

Jonny Roberts has come to conference to share his experience of being a single dad - and call for Labour to take bold action on child poverty.

labourlist.org

1 3

Reposted by Changing Realities

Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 8d

‘An announcement on [the two child limit] at conference would bring the house down’

Jonny Roberts from @changingrealities.bsky.social saying it as it is in @labourlist.bsky.social ahead of Keir Starmer’s speech

labourlist.org/2025/09/chil...

'Bringing emotion and reality to the debate on child poverty.': one conference attendee's experience - LabourList

Jonny Roberts has come to conference to share his experience of being a single dad - and call for Labour to take bold action on child poverty.

labourlist.org

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Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 8d

After a meeting with the First Minister, John Swinney, about tackling child poverty in Scotland, Changing Realities participant, Gloria, writes about the delivery plan's theme of whole family support, starting with her broken bed ... @uofgussp.bsky.social @uofglasgow.bsky.social @bigissue.com ⬇️ 📝

Big Issue @bigissue.com · 8d

Gloria Odhi, a participant of Changing Realities, shared her story with the Scottish first minister with the hope of inspiring change.

I couldn't afford to fix my broken bed. People in poverty like me need help with the essentials

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Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 9d

Jonny Roberts says that it is impossible to overstate how totemic the forthcoming child poverty strategy is for families on a low-income like him. They need to see that this government is on their side, & they're waiting patiently for the government to demonstrate this

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 9d

Jonny ended with a call to action on child care, including ambitious proposals to make breakfast clubs a foundation to a universal afters school club offer as well as a move to 100% reimbursement and up front payments on child care for those on UC www.changingrealities.org/writings/get...

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Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 9d

The two-child limit needs to go and would make a transformative diference to children’s lives

we need to see action on local housing allowance rates says Jonny, parent in Changing Realities at @cpaguk.bsky.social fringe chaired by @stephenkb.bsky.social

www.changingrealities.org/writings/get...

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 9d

Setting out the daily reality of life on a low income, Jonny Roberts says 't’s getting to the end of the month and having to buy the cheapest oven thing

Or persuading my son
although his football boots are too small, he can make do until the next month [at @cpaguk.bsky.social fringe]

I'm a single dad asking Keir Starmer to do more to tackle child poverty

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 9d

Jonny said...

It’s the insidious things about child poverty that really get to you
and it's the children who are affected that we need to keep in mind

[speaking at @cpaguk.bsky.social fringe chaired by @stephenkb.bsky.social ]

Read more at www.bigissue.com/opinion/sing...

Jonny Roberts is a single parent with two children. He is speaking at a Child Poverty Action Group event at the Labour Party Conference.

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 9d

Today, we're at Labour Party Conference where Jonny Roberts is speaking at a @cpaguk.bsky.social fringe setting out what action Labour needs to take in order to take decisive action on child poverty [sneak preview of what he may say here 🧵]

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Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 15d

We can and must build a better system of SEND support for children and young people in England. Theirs -- and indeed all of our futures -- depend on it. Please do read and share our policy note: www.changingrealities.org/writings/wha...

[🧵ends]

Solving the SEND crisis: report calls for culture shift and funding to make mainstream education genuinely inclusive - Committees - UK Parliament

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 15d

which echoes much of what is in @@johnharris1969.bsky.social column in today’s Guardian, and in the Education Select Committee report which you can read here: committees.parliament.uk/committee/20...

A new Education Committee report calls for a root and branch transformation of the way mainstream education caters to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).&...

committees.parliament.uk

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 15d

Please read and share our new policy note on what needs to be in the Schools white paper on SEND www.changingrealities.org/writings/wha...

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 15d

They also called for much more focus to be placed on inclusion within mainstream settings, along with better training for all school staff. Parents and carers want to have a seat at the table as the proposals for change are developed.

www.changingrealities.org/writings/wha...

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 15d

Parents urged the DfE to make sure that the broken system ir repaired before there is even any talk of changes to the legal and statutory provisions provided by EHCPs

www.changingrealities.org/writings/wha...

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 15d

On Thursday, parents from @changing_r met with @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social to discuss the forthcoming Schools White Paper www.changingrealities.org/writings/wha...

Changing Realities @changingrealities.bsky.social · 15d

We can all agree that the current systems of Special Educational Needs support are failing but the next step is to agree what change is needed to build a better, more inclusive system that works for all children

www.changingrealities.org/writings/wha...

[short 🧵, launching new @changing_r note]