DWP Minister Amber Rudd Desperately Attempts to Discredit Damming UN Poverty Report

In response to UK work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd's claim that he did not do enough research and was biased in his final report on poverty in the UK, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, said today:

"Rather than addressing the substance, the UK government has sought to distract from the troubling findings of this report by misrepresenting the process behind it. This is disappointing, if predictable. In addition to my 12 day visit at the invitation of the government, my report is based on months of preparation by me and my team, including more than 100 consultations, an analysis of over 300 submissions, and more than 100 citations to the government's own data and that of renowned UK institutions. I traveled the country meeting with people in poverty, prominent researchers, and frontline staff at foodbanks and advice centers, many of whom said they wished the government would do the same. The government had an opportunity to review the report ahead of publication, yet made only eight minor changes. The UK is happy to use human rights to criticize other countries, but it must also reckon with its own human rights problems."

The Special Rapporteur's final is available here: https://undocs.org/A/HRC/41/39/Add.1

The press release is available here: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24636&LangID=E

Mr. Philip Alston (Australia) took up his functions as the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in June 2014.  As a Special Rapporteur, he is part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures' experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

Follow the Special Rapporteur on Twitter @Alston_UNSR and Facebook at www.facebook.com/AlstonUNSR

Image: Prof Phillip Alston, gets out and meets the people.