The Government record on child poverty is shockingly bad. Child poverty is as bad as it was five years ago. The number of children in "official" poverty is 3.9 million while the number of children in deeper poverty is 2.6 million. Worse still, child poverty is rising. 300,000 more children have fallen into poverty since 2004.

The figures highlight a stark message.  The war against child poverty is increasingly being lost under Gordon Brown.

Worryingly, "official" child poverty is set quite high. So the Government concentrates on getting the relatively 'better off'  of the poor "over the line". As a result, children living in deeper poverty, where help is most needed, can get left behind. That is target culture gone mad.

Nick de Bois believes that child poverty is not just offensive - it damages our country's future prospects as well. Children in poverty are less likely to do well at school, are more likely to get into crime and underachieve. Every child has a right to achieve its fullest potential and we need to do more to help our kids be all they can be. Nick believes we should help children in deepest deprivation first of all.