ACCORDING to the UK Government, the percentage of all children in relative poverty in our country – a child living in a household earning 60% of the average income – is currently 19%. Since 2010, the number of children growing up in relative poverty has increased by 500,000.

Even more children fit this context if measured as absolute poverty – those who cannot afford basics like food and heating. I am a retired headteacher and now run a local foodbank. Here in Teignbridge 14% of children – 2,116 – live in relative poverty.

We know of 90 children just in West Teignmouth alone, where we run our Larder, living in poverty.

In some parts of Kingskerswell more than one in five children are poor. Kingsteignton, East Dawlish, and Barton and Buckland are all similarly affected.

Is it because their parents don’t bother to work, or not hard enough?

Our experience in the Larder reflects the Joseph Rowntree Foundation figures that 75% of food bank users and parents are in fact working.

Their work is not always secure.

Seasonal jobs and zero-hours contracts are common. Rents are higher than non-tourist areas and even if entitled, housing benefit is too low to pay the rent in full.

Food and fuel costs are soaring – I dread the winter fuel and heating costs hitting the Larder users – and a whole host of other financial, health and personal problems add to the misery.

So why does it matter if children are brought up in poverty?

The circumstances of poverty set children off on a trajectory that affects the rest of their lives. Children in poverty are far more likely to experience poorer health, a shorter life expectancy, and lower educational achievement, earnings, and levels of happiness.

What therefore needs to be done?

Once elected, Labour will end the austerity imposed by the Lib-Dem-Conservative Coalition in 2010. We will scrap Universal Credit, the benefit cap, the Two Child limit and end the freeze on working- age benefits.

We will also expand free childcare, open 1,000 new Sure Start centres and provide universal Free School Meals for all primary school children.

Once this happens, the number of children in poverty locally and nationally will then start to fall again, as it did under the last Labour government, and if so, these same children can also look forward to a long, healthy, successful and happy life.