Catholic agency urges children’s manifesto as yardstick for voters
-2/02/05
Caritas-social action, the social justice agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, is urging Catholics in England and Wales to use; ‘Room for Improvement’ – a manifesto for children – as a yardstick in their voting deliberations.
Caritas-social action joined the leading five children’s charities at a lobbying event to launch the manifesto with representatives from the three main political parties on Tuesday Feb 1st in the Houses of Parliament.
Caritas hopes to put the needs of children and young people at the heart of general election campaigns, and is making several recommendations through the joint manifesto. These include giving refugee children the same rights to protection and support as other children in the UK, and a minimum income for all families to ensure the health and well being of their children.
The radical set of recommendations also include the suggestion that children in trouble with the law should be treated as children in need of support and that priority be given to improving the life chances of children in the care system by raising their educational attainment and providing them with an independent advocate
Speaking at the event were Lord Filkin, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families; Theresa May, the Shadow Secretary of State for the Family representing the Conservatives and Annette Brook, Shadow Minister for Children representing the Liberal Democrats.
Philomena Cullen, Policy Co-ordinator for Caritas-social action said: “Caritas has been lobbying for the past year to ensure that families have the support they need to provide stable and loving homes for children. We support the Children’s Manifesto because although the Government has made some progress in tackling poverty and supporting families, it is clear that there is still much room for improvement. Now is the time for all political parties to put the needs of children and young people at the heart of the general election.”
Jim Richards, Director of Catholic Children’s Society (Westminster) and member of Caritas said; “I would vote for the candidate that genuinely puts children at the centre. This manifesto enables us to measure the political commitment to
children and families.”
Caritas-social action is joining with leading children’s charities including NCH, Save the Children, The Children’s Society, Barnardo’s and NSPCC in urging all political parties to accept the recommendations in the manifesto.