Poverty, Deprivation, and Exclusion

Abstract Examines trends in poverty and in wider indicators of deprivation and social exclusion in the UK. Discusses different ways of measuring the extent of poverty. Presents trends in the numbers with low incomes, progress towards the abolition of child poverty in a generation as promised by Tony Blair in 1999, and evidence on the depth of poverty. Discusses the concepts of ‘social inclusion’ and ‘social exclusion’ and shows quite how poor Britain’s record on deprivation and exclusion had become in international terms by the mid-1990s. Presents attitudes survey evidence on what the public as a whole thinks about poverty, shedding light on which measures resonate with the public and how great they think the problems are.