Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Brighton, Angela Rayner lamented the loss of Sure Start services: "We revealed today that since 2012, £437 million has been cut from Sure Start - nearly half of their entire funding. That means more children and families with less control over their lives. I am proud to say that we will give £500 million a year directly to Sure Start, reversing these cuts in full."

John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Sure Start was one of Labour’s greatest achievements in government, bringing help and support for parents into the heart of some of Britain’s most deprived areas. So we are delighted to hear that the next Labour Government will reverse the deeply damaging cuts imposed by the Conservatives.

“We all know that work is the best way out of poverty and for parents that means they need the necessary help and support. Sure Start made a major contribution, something the Tories fail to understand. Positive effects on families and home-learning environments, fewer chaotic home lives, with parent-child relationships improved. Mothers using the centres showed improved mental health and children exhibited greater social skills.

“On this, like so many other matters the Conservatives know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. We need the return of a Labour government to improve the life chances of children in the poorest families, continuing the work of the last Labour government.”

Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest trade union with over 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 20% in the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the Union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion