MLP calls for action on poverty

Party wants to see gap between rich and poor close

The Manx Labour Party says more needs to be done to help struggling families in the Isle of Man, as the gap between rich and poor continues to grow.

It's calling for a 'package of practical measures' to be set up to tackle poverty, motivated by the recent news 18% of the Island's schoolchildren receive free school meals.

The measures the party suggests include a register of private landlords, reining-in the use of zero-hours contracts, more help for schools with a high number of pupils on free school meals, and lifting the National Insurance cap for higher earners.

The Manx Labour Party's David Cretney MLC raised the matter during Tynwald questions this week: