So, you remember how the IFS claimed that the Coalition's tuition fee reforms were progressive, something which Cameron, Clegg and Cable didn't hesitate to keep pointing out? I wonder if they'll react to the IFS's latest report with quite the same fervour, considering it says the Coalition's plans will increase absolute child poverty by 300,000 by 2013/14...

 

http://www.ifs.org.uk/pr/child_poverty2013.pdf

The IFS have come out with a lot of reports recently, some helpful to the government, some not. All three parties are guilty of quoting the helpful ones while rubbishing the unhelpful ones.

 

For a really stupid response to this report, you need look no further than the right-wing Policy Exchange think tank. That can be summarised as "There are poorer people elsewhere so we shouldn't worry about poverty here".

For a really stupid response to this report, you need look no further than the right-wing Policy Exchange think tank. That can be summarised as "There are poorer people elsewhere so we shouldn't worry about poverty here".

 

That's beyond stupid, it's really rather scary that people actually think like that.

So, you remember how the IFS claimed that the Coalition's tuition fee reforms were progressive, something which Cameron, Clegg and Cable didn't hesitate to keep pointing out? I wonder if they'll react to the IFS's latest report with quite the same fervour, considering it says the Coalition's plans will increase absolute child poverty by 300,000 by 2013/14...

 

http://www.ifs.org.uk/pr/child_poverty2013.pdf

 

The IFS didn't exactly give a ringing endorsement to the tuition fee reforms though, they actually did point out that about 75% of graduates in work (in other words, the vast majority) would be worse off and would end up paying back for a hell of a lot longer... Seems like Cameron and Clegg picked out the bits they liked and kind of glossed over the bits they didn't.....

 

TBH, I would say that this report is far more important than the one on Tuition Fees though, because, while graduates may be worse off, they wont be living below the poverty line such as will happen with the Tories various welfare "reforms" will do to many children....

 

How typical of Policy Exchange to just brush it off like that, frankly, these people want taken out and shot if they think like that...