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We've put the cart before the horse on child poverty

Let's call him Martin. Martin is small for 11. He rarely eats breakfast. He struggles with reading and number work. His brother is in a gang and his mother is a heroin addict. He lives in the area of Glasgow that boasts the lowest male life expectancy in Britain: 54. His school clothes are grubby and he smells unwashed. He doesn't have a social worker because he's never been in more than minor trouble. Not yet.

Let's call him Martin. Martin is small for 11. He rarely eats breakfast. He struggles with reading and number work. His brother is in a gang and his mother is a heroin addict. He lives in the area of Glasgow that boasts the lowest male life expectancy in Britain: 54.