Just when Brown was down and nearly out with little to hope for, with his party in huge debt, and being blamed for the huge financial crisis, along comes some magic. Not Paul Daniels, but multi-millionaire Harry Potter author JK Rowling has given a £1 million donation to Labour!
Her reason was given in a statement that referred back to the days when she was struggling to feed her family, Rowling said Brown has 'worked hard to reduce child poverty while Conservative chief David Cameron has proposed tax changes that would hurt working single parents'. Well he has indeed worked hard to pretend that he has reduced poverty, but under Labour the rich have got much richer, and the rest of us have suffered increased taxation. Most people who once believed Labour was the party of the ordinary voter no longer think so, they have been largely indistinguishable from the Tories for years.
The number of children living in poverty has risen for a second year, a government report said recently. The number of children living in poverty rose by 100,000 in 2006-2007 to 2.9 million before housing costs. Child poverty in the United Kingdom remains worse than in most other European countries. A child in the UK still has nearly twice as much chance of living in a household with relatively low income than a generation ago
Labour is struggling with debts totalling £17.8 million - much of them due to borrowing to fund the 2005 general election campaign, the most expensive in the party's history. Rowling, whose fortune was estimated at £560 million in this year's Sunday Times Rich List, is known to be a personal friend of Mr Brown and his wife Sarah.
Also if she had stayed away there was more chance that Labour would ditch Brown, at which event all muggles (except the Tories) would be cheering. So well done JK, a keen observer of human nature but a political innocent. Next time give the money to a party that really will make a difference, (The Green Party) or to a charity such as the Child Poverty Action Group, http://www.cpag.org.uk/, or endchildpoverty http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/
Those interested in campaigning against child poverty can join a 'Keep the Promise' rally on Saturday 4 October 2008 in Trafalgar Square. There will be a march beforehand.
http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/0366.asp
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7445624.stm
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