Karen Loughlin, UNISON Cymru Wales regional secretary
73 per cent of the Welsh public believe the Welsh government should do more to lift children out of poverty.
That’s the finding of a Savanta ComRes poll of 1,021 people released today (Friday).
The poll was commissioned by public services union, UNISON Cymru Wales, which has made tackling inequality a priority in its campaigning around May’s Senedd elections.
One in three children in Wales live in poverty, according to the Joseph Rowntree Trust and UNISON wants this to be urgently addressed by the next Welsh government through investment in public services and high-quality council and social housing.
Vital public services such as youth clubs, leisure centre and libraries have been reduced or disappeared in many communities in Wales after ten years of severe spending cuts driven by successive Westminster governments.
UNISON’s poll shows a clear majority of Welsh people think good access to key public services promotes equality: –
- 69 per cent believe good access to social care promotes equality in communities in Wales
- 63 per cent believe good access to youth clubs promotes equality in communities in Wales
- 58 per cent believe good access to leisure centres promotes equality in communities in Wales
The poll also found 63 per cent of public support the Welsh government overseeing a building programme of high-quality council and social housing in Wales.
UNISON branch secretary, Jan Tomlinson said,
“UNISON healthcare workers at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board make regular donations to food banks in north Wales and recently we made sure hundreds of local children had a chocolate egg at Easter.
“Food bank use in Britain is at record levels. They should not need to exist in a civilised society. In-work poverty is growing and there’s been an increase in workers in the care sector, the NHS and councils, needing to use food banks.
“The next Welsh government must be compassionate and can never forget those who desperately need our help.”
UNISON Cymru Wales regional secretary, Karen Loughlin, said
“Inequality has grown during the pandemic. Across Wales people are trapped in poverty. It causes them great distress, stunts ambitions and leaves talent untapped. We are failing thousands of children and we must do better than this.
“Well-funded public services like youth clubs, leisure centres, libraries, social care, could help reduce inequality within communities in Wales. We need them back at the heart of communities.
“Mortality from Covid has been higher in deprived areas and substandard housing is linked to poor health. Building many more high-quality council and social homes would tackle that effectively.
“These need to be the priorities of the next Welsh government.”
Notes for editors
Savanta ComRes interviewed 1,021 Welsh adults aged 16+ online from 1 to 7 April 2021. Data were weighted to be representative of Welsh adults by age, gender, region and SEG.
Q. To what extent do you believe that the Welsh government should do more or less to lift children out of poverty than it is currently doing?
| SUM: More | 73% |
| SUM: Less | 4% |
| Much more | 47% |
| A bit more | 27% |
| Same as now | 16% |
| A bit less | 3% |
| Much less | 1% |
| Don’t know | 7% |
Base: All respondents (n=1,021)
Q. To what extent does good access to each of the following public services increase or decrease equality within communities in Wales?
| Social care | Youth clubs | Leisure centres | Public libraries | |
| Sum: Increase | 69% | 63% | 58% | 50% |
| Sum: Decrease | 5% | 9% | 6% | 7% |
| Greatly increase | 33% | 26% | 22% | 20% |
| Somewhat increase | 35% | 37% | 36% | 31% |
| Make no difference | 18% | 20% | 28% | 34% |
| Somewhat decrease | 4% | 6% | 5% | 5% |
| Greatly decrease | 1% | 3% | 1% | 2% |
| Don’t know | 9% | 8% | 8% | 8% |
Base: All respondents (n=1,021)
Q. To what extent do you support or oppose the Welsh government overseeing a building programme of high-quality council and social housing in Wales?
| SUM: Support | 63% |
| SUM: Oppose | 6% |
| NET: Support | 57% |
| Strongly support | 35% |
| Somewhat support | 28% |
| Somewhere in the middle | 25% |
| Somewhat oppose | 4% |
| Strongly oppose | 2% |
| Don’t know | 7% |
Base: All respondents (n=1,021)
For more information about the #UNISONmanifesto and our Senedd elections 2021 campaign, click here
Read more about our polling results:
- 72 PER CENT OF WELSH PUBLIC WOULD SUPPORT A NATIONAL CARE SERVICE, press release on 14 April
- WELSH OPINION POLL RESULTS: BAN COMPANIES FROM PUBLIC CONTRACTS IF THEY USE ZERO HOURS, press release on 23 April
Contact
Alastair Gittins, UNISON Cymru Wales press officer on 07816 53 83 97
