New cross-party MP initiative to prevent poverty & national petition launched in UK, as global uncertainty continues to drive cost-of-living crisis.

London 23 April 2026: Twenty MPs have become founding supporters of a new Parliamentary Poverty Prevention Caucus, alongside a national pledge and public petition calling on the Government to make poverty prevention a central priority of national policy.

The initiative, led by campaign group Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP) in partnership with Compassion in Politics, brings together MPs from across parties to develop a coordinated, prevention-led approach to tackling poverty and inequality.

With global instability, economic uncertainty, and ongoing cost-of-living pressures continuing to affect the UK economy, campaigners warn that more households risk falling into hardship, unless government action shifts from managing poverty to preventing it.

At the core of the initiative is a unified pledge signed by all Parliamentary supporters:

“I pledge to prioritise policies preventing poverty and inequality, acting with integrity, respect, and compassion in Parliament and my constituency.”

Alongside the parliamentary initiative and pledge, TAP is also launching a national petition, enabling the public to call on the government and MPs to prioritise poverty prevention in national policy.

TAP says the UK lacks a coherent national poverty prevention strategy, and that billions are spent managing hardship’s consequences rather than its root causes.

The Parliamentary Poverty Prevention Caucus will bring together MPs, policy experts, and civil society organisations to develop practical solutions for addressing the structural causes of poverty and improve long-term economic resilience.

Tom Burgess, CEO of Taxpayers Against Poverty, said:

“In a time of global instability and economic pressure, we are seeing more families pushed to the edge. Britain spends billions dealing with the consequences of poverty, yet far too little preventing it.

The recently published Nicolson Report makes clear that a prevention-led approach is not only the right moral choice, but an economic necessity. Preventing poverty reduces long-term pressure on public services, strengthens public finances, and improves life chances across the country.”

A launch event for the Parliamentary Poverty Prevention Caucus will take place in Westminster later this year.

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Notes to Editors: 

The founding MPs are:

Neil Duncan-Jordan	Labour	Poole
Ann Davies	Plaid Cymru	Caerfyrddin
Iqbal Mohamed	Independent	Dewsbury and Batley
Ellie Chowns	Green Party	North Herefordshire
Steve Witherden	Labour	Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr
Richard Burgon	Labour	Leeds East
Andrew George	Lib Dem	St Ives
Bell Ribeiro-Addy	Labour	Clapham and Brixton Hill
John McDonnell	Labour	Hayes and Harlington
Siân Berry	Green Party	Brighton Pavilion
Dr Simon Opher	Labour	Stroud
Cat Eccles	Labour	Stourbridge
Carla Denyer	Green Party	Bristol Central
Adrian Ramsay	Green Party	Waveney Valley
Hannah Spencer	Green Party	Gorton and Denton
Nadia Whittome	Labour	Nottingham East
Kim Johnson	Labour	Liverpool Riverside
Kirsty Blackman	SNP	Aberdeen North
Seamus Logan	SNP	Aberdeenshire North and Moray East
Clive Lewis	Labour	Norwich South

The Nicolson Report, Poverty Benefits No-One, draws on existing research, official statistics, and case studies to assess the scale, cost, and causes of poverty in the UK, and to propose practical policy responses. You can view a draft copy of the report here: 

Constituency level poverty figures for child poverty available in attached excel file - source: Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics - GOV.UK

For media enquiries, interviews, or comment:Tom Burgess, CEO, TAP / +44 7887 724285Email: campaigns@taxpayersagainstpoverty.org

Simon Thomson, Director of Communications and Campaigns, TAP 

Email: simon@taxpayersagainstpoverty.org 

Website: www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk 

About Taxpayers Against PovertyTaxpayers against Poverty is a UK-based independent advocacy group dedicated to tackling poverty, inequality, and economic injustice TAP seeks to influence national and local policy by promoting practical economic proposals that have a positive effect on reducing poverty and unnecessary financial hardship using a direct approach to decision makers and other influencers.

TAP was founded by the late Rev Paul Nicolson and is led by Tom Burgess, author of From Here to Prosperity, a new political agenda for a sustainable economy and greater social justice, which proposes taxing wealth more and income less. TAP’s sister organisation is Compassion in Politics which seeks to bring more honesty, respect and compassion into political life.

For media enquiries, interviews, or comment: Tom Burgess, CEO, Taxpayers Against PovertyEmail: media@taxpayersagainspoverty.org

Website: www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org