Title: UK poverty deepens amid Conservative welfare cuts, Joseph Rowntree report warns The Joseph Rowntree Foundation released a new report this week showing that under Conservative governments from 2010 to 2024 the UK saw no reduction in relative poverty. The latest data from 2023‑24 shows one in five adults in relative poverty, defined as earning less than 60 % of the median. A further 6.8 million people are living on incomes far below that threshold, and 3.8 million were in deep poverty in 2022. The report blames welfare cuts, including the two‑child benefit cap and broad austerity measures, for leaving millions unable to pay food, energy and housing costs. It warns that further cuts to the welfare budget to fund defence spending would leave the poorest unable to survive. The analysis calls for a re‑framing of the welfare debate and a better‑funded safety net to restore economic agency and social cohesion. Politicians such as Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farage and former Chancellor George Osborne have defended the cuts, while the new Labour government faces pressure to reverse them before the next election. The report notes the debate is framed as “guns versus butter” amid concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and US politics. Category: Politics Tags: Economy, Politics, Defense Countries: United Kingdom, Russia, United States Cities: None People: Peter Matejic, George Osborne, Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farage, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump Sentiment: Negative

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