Language of Poverty

Sticking plaster or open-heart surgery? Time to create a good society

By Caroline Hartnell

15 Feb 2021

Friday 5 February saw the official launch of Poverty 2nd Ed by Ruth Lister (member of the House of Lords and vice-chair of Compass, which hosted the event; the first edition was published...

Book launch: Poverty (2nd Edition)

By Ruth Lister

27 Jan 2021

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed and aggravated the economic insecurity experienced by a growing number of members of society. This may encourage greater understanding of the acute insecurity typically...

Reporting on poverty: why the tone matters

By Manny Hothi

11 Jun 2019

Is the angry and exasperated tone of Phillip Alston’s report on poverty in the UK counter-productive? Let’s compare this with responses to climate change. For years David Attenborough and...

Three points to keep in mind when you talk about poverty

By John Veit-Wilson

28 May 2019

Poverty is growing in the UK, and it’s not only that more people are suffering, but the hurts and indignities they suffer are getting worse. Much of this avoidable...

Talking Points looks back on 2018

By Rethinking Poverty

09 Jan 2019

Deepening poverty and inequality Gordon Brown provides what seems like a fitting epitaph for the year. ‘I’m seeing poverty I didn’t think I would ever see again in my... Read More

Talking about poverty – is being careful about language enough

By Caroline Hartnell

01 Mar 2018

‘The problem with the word poverty is that it embodies so many negatives,’ said journalist Stephen Armstrong, author of The New Poverty, speaking at Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s (JRF) ‘Talking... Read More

Rethinking Poverty – Chris Goulden draws parallels with new research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation

By Chris Goulden

01 Mar 2018

I completely agree with the book’s aspiration for us all to think differently about poverty. That’s also the foundation of new JRF research from the Frameworks Institute that seeks... Read More

Workshop Report: The Language of Poverty

By Georgia Smith

15 Mar 2016

The word ‘poverty’ features heavily in the lexicon of British politics. The Prime Minister has proposed an “all-out assault on poverty,” Labour MPs and peers recently campaigned hard to... Read More

Understanding and developing new language around poverty

By Abigail Scott Paul

15 Mar 2016

Abigail Scott Paul, JRF – Understanding and developing a new language around poverty in the UK Abigail Scott Paul, Head of Engagement at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, delivered the... Read More

Engaging with the public: What do the public think of us and how can we speak in ways that understand each other?

By Deborah Mattinson

15 Mar 2016

Deborah Mattinson, Britain Thinks – How to have an effective conversation with the public Deborah Mattinson, Founding Director of Britain Thinks, picked up the theme of public engagement. The... Read More

Kate Bell – Where next for anti-poverty campaigners?

By Kate Bell

15 Mar 2016

Kate bell – Where next for anti-poverty campaigners? Next up Kate Bell drew on her experience as a former policy advisor to the Labour Party and coordinator with CPAG... Read More

The drivers: What drives public attitude towards welfare?

By Emily Fu

15 Mar 2016

Emily Fu, TNS BMRB – What drives public attitudes to welfare? Emily Fu, Associate Director at social research agency TNS BMRB, examined the emotional drivers of public attitudes towards... Read More

The debate: What are current sentiments towards poverty in the UK?

By Barry Knight

15 Mar 2016

Drawing on research conducted by YouGov, Director of the Webb Memorial Trust, Barry Knight, reflected on current sentiments towards poverty in the UK. He defined this as an area... Read More