Cathy Jamieson MP, Labour’s Shadow Treasury Minister, said in response to the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ comments on the Government’s child benefit changes today:

As promised earlier, here's my more detailed supplementary take on today's IFS Green Budget. I've distilled it down into six points, but obviously there's much, much more in the actual document itself. I'd recommend that you read the chapters on public sector pensions and pay, the 50p rate, and child benefit, in particular, if you're so minded — as they're ...

A discussion on the Better Nation Blog about proposals for the Scottish Parliament to make smacking children illegal reminded me of this poignant poem by Stan Kelly. It is about an abused child who is likely to grow up to become a replica of his abusive father, but his Ma' still loves him to bits because he is her baby. A fantastic poem, made into a fantastic song by Cilla Black: Oh you are a

Yesterday the Mail stated: "previously parents could use 'reasonable chastisement', while the new definition prohibits any force that causes 'reddening of the skin'." This is inexcusably wrong on the law: reddening of the skin is in fact the very example provided by the CPS of what is covered by the defence.

From the latest Radio Times: 9.00 Wonderland: My Child the Rioter Last August's riots provoked a legal backlash that has seen often lengthy prison sentences handed down to those involved. This documentary enters the homes of the some of the families affected, including that of Eileen and Alan Bretherton whose son Liam recently served in Afghanistan but got caught up in the unrest while home o...

In 5 weeks’ time, the Scottish and Welsh parties meet for their respective Spring Conferences. The Welsh are going to Cardiff while the Scots head north to the beautiful highland capital of Inverness. As everywhere which meant anything to me as a child is within 20 minutes’ walk of the Conference venue, I’m delighted to

Liam Byrne MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, responding to the Government’s defeat over plans to charge single parents for using the Child Support Agency, said:

The Coalition's flagship welfare reform Bill suffered another defeat in the House of Lords as senior Tory peers opposed plans to change child maintenance rules.

The government's welfare bill suffers another defeat in the House of Lords, this time over plans to charge single parents to use the Child Support Agency.

Child maintenance is a life-line for many single parent families, whose children are twice as likely to live in poverty as those of couple families. The Government’s proposals to attach charges to access the Child Support Agency will see vulnerable families with no option but to seek state help to gain maintenance pushed further into