I’m deeply concerned by new Government data showing that child poverty in St Helens Borough has rocketed by 40% over the last five years.

It means that in March 2020, even before the hardships of lockdown, a fifth of the borough’s children were living in poverty – with 60% of these shockingly belonging to a working family.

The figures are a damning indictment of this Tory Government, who should be protecting children, offering security and making work pay for families – not locking people into poverty.