Has the UK become a country that really doesn’t like children? | Polly Toynbee

A raft of reports shows a collective neglect of children, with their wellbeing in reverse. They are the silent victims of Tory austerity

This is no country for children. Pious politicians pretend "children are our future". But the UK seems to prefer its past. In rights and priorities, children are standing at the counter waiting to be served, as adults shove them out of the way, with a cascade of reports revealing our collective neglect of children.

The National Audit Office on Thursday reports on the crippled finances of local government, funding cut by half, despite skyrocketing demand for social services, especially for children. Vanishing early prevention with overstretched social workers causes an alarming rise in children in care reaching an unprecedented 72,670 last year. Every study shows why: poverty, lack of housing, neglected parental mental health.

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