Guest writer Davy Carlin with a piece on deprivation.
The recent report commissioned by the End Child Poverty campaign has found that out of 650 parliamentary constituencies, West Belfast has the second highest levels of child poverty in the UK. Manchester Central being the only constituency to record higher levels of child poverty and deprivation.
43% of children within the West Belfast constituency grow up in poverty. And while this is a reduction on the previous year from 46%, other areas saw a greater percentage drop in poverty levels over that year.
West Belfast has constantly been at the top of the statistical lists for the areas of greatest socio - economic deprivation. This has been the case for decades.
January’s 2013 release from the ‘Office for National Statistics’ also has West Belfast men as the highest rate of benefits claimants at 15.2% in the UK. West Belfast has also seen a dramatic rise in youth unemployment, with Northern Ireland as a whole amongst the highest youth unemployment rate in the UK at over 20%.
The issue of housing sees West Belfast also topping the polls with the highest waiting lists in the North for social housing. At the same time repossessions of home owner’s properties are reaching an all-time high.
In recent years West Belfast has also seen a rise in suicides, one of the biggest causes of premature deaths in the area. Alcohol and drug dependency have also spiralled in local areas while food and clothing bank charities are inundated from people seeking help.
What are the local politicians doing about this growing poverty and deprivation?
Well, in recent times we have seen the passing of the Welfare Reform Bill at the Stormont Assembly. We have seen local politicians being responsible for implementing austerity measures resulting in continual closures and cuts to our public services.
We have also seen Unionist politicians whipping up sectarian division over the moving of the Union flag upon Belfast city hall to designated days only.
This situation has seen months of street mobilisation from loyalist working class communities and the rising of sectarian tensions. Many of the marches and roadblocks had seen unionist leaders standing with the protesters while continuing to stoke up sectarian passions with their words.
All of this is further creating sectarian divisions while pushing many more into poverty.
While the move to peace from our recent conflict is supported by the overwhelming majority of our citizens, the process though has seen little change for many working class communities. This situation is creating a growing generation of youth many of whom see little material change and such hope for a better life than what their parents had before.
Street mobilisation and direct action over a flag plays directly into the hands of the sectarian politicians, street mobilisation and direct action against the savage austerity cuts works to our benefit.
Whether it be West Belfast, East Belfast or Catholic and Protestant working class communities across the North, it is time to stand up to the sectarian politicians for our collective class interests rather than to stand with them for their self-interest.
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RE: What are the local politicians doing about this growing poverty and deprivation?
ReplyDeleteNB When you grow up poor = kids absorb all the stress, fear, anger from the adults hence poverty is a generational curse that underpins mental illness/addiction/violence –domestic and other. The smell of despair, anger is on one and one knows it. Hard when you are poor to get excited about anything other than your next meal, cigarette, hit, bed to sleep, next scam to survive, your next govt. handout benefit, how to keep warm when weather is freezing, how am I gonna pay the f..king rent if you rent etc
Workng class ppl or totally destitute living on the streets etc us lot have a canny ability to survive but all people deserve more than survival – they deserve a right to live and not just exist on the scraps given out from a corrupt system.
It be a given that local politicains will do as little as possible but provide a tokenism layer of concern not just in eire but everywhere it be the same… There is however the bright hope of cohesive action from those suffering that negates sectarianism, old wounds etc.. Ireland for the people not the elite… But here be the reality check that when one is suffering all ones energy is based in surviving another day hence rarely enthusiasm for taking to the streets to protest and demand changes for the people
Impoverished people still want their dignity and it is their inherent right to have this and a voice, access to services and adequate provisionThe onus is on those who are comfortably off to speak out instead of doing nothing. Why should the impoverished always have to rise up…
It is a short ride from middle class status to working class and down further than that to zero - a faceless statistic. They should dammed well remember that….
NB Ireland based free services following for those who are interested or may want to share them round.
Free services Belfast and rest of Ireland and for anyone interested there is an international homelessness forum (See Ireland section) link bottom of page.
ReplyDelete• OLAGOLA
Ireland based FREE assistance service– counselling/referrals Run by healthcare professionals
Is online and on facebook. NB If you are suicidal, overwhelmed by life - contact and have confidential one to one speak or text. You can access this service from a internet café or go to a shelter and ask to use the net there.
http://www.olagola.com/
• Belfast Narcotics Anonymous meetings
http://www.nanorthernireland.com/?page=meetinglist
• NA Narcotics Anonymous Ireland (main website)
http://www.na-ireland.org/
• Ireland Alcoholics Anonymous meetings
http://www.aa.org/lang/en/aa_international.cfm?country=Ireland&origpage=31
• Simon Community – North of Ireland 24hour hotline – 0800 171 2222
Services for Families Young people Freephone Service
NB Rent and Deposit Bond Scheme - Harm Reduction Service
Homelessness Prevention Programme Accommodation
• International Homeless Forum
http://www.homelessforums.org/
Davy:
ReplyDeleteThat's an Excellent piece , and , straight to the point.
The Youth are our future , and , those who try and bring them onto the streets to demonstrate and cause havoc whilst the instigators stand on the side lines.
It's common knowledge that those organising those street protests and violence are Unionist MLA's.
Its sad that those youths think that they have nothing to look forward to, No Job Prospects , and , that goes for both Nationalists and Protestant Youth.
I sincerely hope that some of those youths are reading and blogging on TPQ , I have a message for everyone of them, You Have a Way Out, It's not to late , Do not listen to propaganda from those MLA's , they care not about you.
Education is your future , Believe me, Its not to late , don't listen to those who ask you to take to the streets and protest and cause havoc , You are the ones who will be arrested , not those who tell you to take to the streets , No matter what you call yourselves, "British" , Ulster Protestant" , or whatever , you have to realise ,you were born in the Island of Ireland.
That is something which you can never deny. Ulster is one of four Provinces of our Island.
It used to be a Protestant dominated Province, But no longer is. We are all equal, Catholic and Protestant, and, there is no way of getting away from it, It Is Fact.
I know what your going through , Same old trip down the road to sign on to make sure you get your unemployment paid into your bank/Post Office account. I've been there in my youth, but I broke away from it all, Through my late fathers friend I was given an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker.
You can do the same, Have you ever thought what you always wanted to be when you grew up? , Its not to late , Don't listen to anyone but your own brain. Just say to yourself , I CAN DO THIS. It is a long process , But you will find its will be worth it, you will meet other youths who are of a different religion to you , but , they look no different from yourself, they might even like your type of music.
Speak amongst yourselves. You are your childrens and Irelands future.
Break out of poverty , those that tell you to take to the streets are not living in poverty.
So remember that when you are old enough to vote.
United we stand , divided we fall.
The UK City of Culture is also the UK City of Child Poverty...
ReplyDeleteMore than one in three children in Derry live in poverty - the highest rate in Northern Ireland.
The shock figure is revealed in the UK wide Campaign to End Child Poverty, Child Poverty Map released by children’s charity Barnardo’s.
Those figures reveal Derry, where 35% of children live in poverty, has the fifth highest rate of child poverty across all 60 UK council areas.
Director Barnardo’s NI Lynda Wilson said there is an onus on the north’s politicians to properly address child poverty.
“Behind today’s statistics sit the most vulnerable children in society whose life chances risk being compromised by our failure to tackle child poverty effectively."
Davy I think your post highlights exactly why Adams the west Belfast version of "cute Hoor" jumped ship, he knew the state that west Belfast was in and I believe that suited him and his cronies,the feeling of hopelessness,the brutal subjugating of the people, the sectarian mis direction of potential employment into the loyalist districts by those in the nio,all this worked in Adams favour in acting as a recruitment sergant, since the cease fires and subsequent surrender the mp for west Belfast created or helped create little or no jobs other than buy off community posts for his cronies,while Pete the punt managed to get invest ni to push jobs and investment up to £80million into east Belfast, after the Anytout news pulled him up on his performance the bearded one like many of us could clearly see the direction the the "place where his heart lies" and it was in a deeper hole than he had kept it in,so he did what he does best and looked after his own arse and stole a safe seat south of the border down Mexico way,west Belfast was always an economic blackspot and its now going to become a desert,and ironically the only jobs to arrive here are in a firm that supplies machinery to destroy homes in Palestine and quisling $inn £ein new stooge mp welcomes them!,so much for solidarity with the Palestinian people,the west have always been a suppressed area and will remain so until the people get rid of the worse than useless mp and cronies who claim to be working on their behalf,it deserves better .hopefully come the next elections the line from the song come true "the wests awake"
ReplyDeleteEveryone,
ReplyDeleteNo need to panic all is being taken care of. The night the statistics were revealed Gerry Mc Conville of the Falls Forum or W.Belfast forum was interviewed, or rather let of the hook. Gerry announced, now that this has been identified it will be tackled, no why, how's or where's from the investigative journalist not even a sigh of relief from either. What clap trap these people sit in these high profile community positions and seemingly idle their days shuffling paper and paper money. Where do the 'spoils of peace' go as if we don't know already. This has to be Spike Murray's brand of socialism, keep back the crumbs just feed them same all crap.
Nuala,
ReplyDeleteSpike was a Marxist back in the day. I would like to ask him someday how he made the journey to where he is now because I fail to grasp it either in terms of republicanism or Marxism. The political perspectives of then and now seem irreconcilable. He had as keen an insight into the political shortcomings of the peace process as anyone else.
Tricky Dickey Mc Auley used to wear a Jamse Connolly badge a cara,like Spike I,m afraid it was just superficial,those high profile revolutionaries have proven themselves to be nothing more than opportunists and carpetbaggers..
ReplyDeleteMackers,
ReplyDeleteA few years back Spike was touring giving lectures on Che Guevara . I couldn't believe it, it's like abattoir owners lecturing people on the benefits of vegetarianism.
A few years back he said the extent of their community involvement was proof of their socialist credentials, when in actual fact it is about social control.
I would say he is glaringly aware of the short comings of the Peace Process but when your stature and bank balance depends on you being a party to the ritual then you will happily oblige.
Nuala,
ReplyDeleteI recall those lectures and people raising their eyebrows about them. You hit the nail on the head through that phrase 'social control.' Republicanism, unfortunately, has always done this sort of thing.
Mackers,
ReplyDeleteChe of all people it was as if he was being resurrected to counteract the black propaganda only for many it worked in the reverse. He must have seen the irony and hypocrisy of those lectures and so must many of his shinner colleagues .
Nuala,
ReplyDeletethe Che thing just made the whole thing sound absurd. As if Che would be running around as part of a Batista devolved administration shouting traitor at anyone who opposed it.
Just seen spotlight about poverty. There is a food bank in Newtonabbey that helped 50 families in Dec 2011and in Dec 2012 it helped just over 300...
ReplyDeleteWhen these welfare reforms kick in the number will soar. They (folks on the hill) reckon they'll be on top of poverty by 2020 (not a chance).
Surely Martin & Peter could have Skyped Brasil & China, faxed a few papers etc...And the money saved gone to help someone who needs it. (No one knows how much it cost).
Why they don't simply end partition (it hasn't worked, ROI is bankrupt & the North is poxed). And use the natural resources to give everyone a decent standard of living is beyond me. It's the only logical solution.
Britain can't afford to keep pumping billions into trying to keep afloat a failed political entity..
What happened in Cyprus will happen to other countries sooner rather than later ( it is basically theft)..Which means less money and more poverty..
The shinners signed up to the welfare reform bill, just like they signed up to water rates and rates rises. They even voted for a pay increase when other parties voted no! Anyone who continues to make representations or vote for them must be aware of their profit before people stance.
ReplyDelete