Children in the UK are suffering “the highest levels of poverty in living memory” – with basic toiletries including shampoo, soap and toothpaste now considered “luxury items”, Gordon Brown has said.

Speaking to the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge, the former prime minister said he was “shocked and ashamed” at the current levels of poverty in Britain, which he said had not been seen for “many, many years”.

Mr Brown raised the plight of what he called “austerity’s children” – those who were born in the last 15 years “who are growing up poor, who probably have never known what it is to be anything other than poor”.

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There are currently 4.3 million children who are officially in poverty after housing costs – translating to 30% of all children in the UK, according to statistics published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in March.

The figure is an increase of 100,000 on the previous year.

Mr Brown, the most recent Labour prime minister and a former chancellor, told the Politics Hub the cost of living crisis has exacerbated the already-difficult situation for many.

“We’re running a multi-bank which is a food bank, clothes bank, furnishings bank, toiletries bank, baby bank, all rolled into one,” he said.

“Last winter, people were desperate for bedding just to keep warm. They’d stop heating their homes and they were simply trying to heat themselves.

“As we move into these summer months – toiletries people cannot afford and consider soap and shampoo and toothpaste as a luxury item.

“And that is why the biggest hospital admissions for children under 10 – between five and nine – is for dental decay. And that’s three-and-a-half times higher in the poorer communities than the richer communities. So we are seeing austerity’s children.”

The former prime minister urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to take action in the autumn statement he is expected to deliver later in the year, while his advice for Sir Keir Starmer – who is on course to be the next Labour prime minister – was that he should “stick to his principles”.

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Sir Keir has angered some in his party by so far refusing to abolish the two child benefit cap, which the Labour leader has said he cannot commit to due to the “tough decisions” his party will face if propelled into power.

Mr Brown once again repeated his calls for a “root and branch” review of Universal Credit, which he said had “gone wrong” – including the two-child benefit cap that was introduced by the Conservative government in 2017 and prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children.

He indicated to Ridge that he believed the Labour leader should drop the cap, saying: “I think they should do a review, a root and branch review of Universal Credit.

“And you’ve got to look at every aspect of Universal Credit which has gone wrong. And it’s not, of course, just the two child rule that is causing problems – it’s the caps that have been placed on, for example, housing benefits.”

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Appealing to Sir Keir as he prepares for the possibility of reaching Downing Street, Mr Brown said the Labour leader should “never lose sight of why you’re there in the first place”.

“If you do lose sight of that, then you will fail. If you don’t lose sight of it and commit to your principles in implementing them, then I think you’ll succeed, and I’m sure he will,” he said.

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The former chancellor also urged Mr Hunt to continue the £500m household support fund that is due to expire at the end of September, and called for a children’s fund to be created alongside foundations, charities, businesses and governments at both local and national levels.

Robert Fico is a populist leader who staged a political comeback last year.

The 59-year-old has previously been compared to former US president Donald Trump.

But his election victory last autumn meant NATO also had another leader who was sympathetic to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Robert Fico in ‘life-threatening condition’ after assassination attempt – follow live updates

Critics have voiced increasing fears Mr Fico would abandon Slovakia’s pro-Western course.

This would echo some of the concerns raised about Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, another NATO member.

Thousands of people have repeatedly held protests across Slovakia against his policies.

Mr Fico and his SMER, or Direction party, secured nearly 23% of the votes at the polls in October.

He is known for foul-mouthed tirades against journalists and has campaigned against immigration and LGBTQ+ rights.

The prime minister has previously opposed EU sanctions on Russia – and has been against Ukraine joining NATO.

He believes the US and other nations should use their influence to force Russia and Ukraine to strike a compromise peace deal.

Mr Fico also repeated Mr Putin’s unsupported claim that the Ukrainian government runs a Nazi state from which ethnic Russians in the country need protection.

The politician founded the SMER party in 1999 and has served as the nation’s prime minister for over 10 years across three different spells.

Born to a working-class family, Mr Fico graduated with a law degree in 1986 and joined the then ruling Communist Party.

After the 1989 fall of communist rule, he worked as a government lawyer, won a seat in parliament under the renamed Communist Party, and represented Slovakia at the European Court For Human Rights.

With a campaign based on overturning austerity reforms, Mr Fico started his first four-year spell as the country’s leader in 2006.

He returned as leader in the parliamentary elections of 2012, but failed in an attempt to win the presidential election of 2014.

In 2016, despite winning the parliamentary polls, Mr Fico’s party was unable to secure a majority and after a multi-party coalition allowed him to remain as leader, he resigned in 2018.

As leader of the largest party following the October 2023 election, Mr Fico formed a coalition with Voice – Social Democracy (Hlas) and the Slovak National Party, and began his fourth term as prime minister.

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All three coalition parties are either leftist or nationalist and, having previously expressed anti-American views, he has spoken about what he called Western influence in Ukraine’s war which only led to Slavic nations killing each other.

His popularity among some, however, has been based on promises to protect the living standards of those left behind in a country where conditions for many are only slowly catching up with western Europe and where many hold relatively fond memories of a communist-era past.

Ukraine should make ‘compromise’

Earlier this year, Mr Fico reiterated his controversial belief Ukraine should give up territory to end the war with Russia.

In January, he told Slovak public broadcaster RTVS: “There has to be some kind of compromise.

“What do they expect, that the Russians will leave Crimea, Donbas and Luhansk? That’s unrealistic.”

In the same interview, he added Ukraine’s membership of NATO would “merely be a basis for World War Three” and Ukraine was “not an independent and sovereign country” which instead was under the “influence and control” of the US.

Protests against controversial changes to TV and radio

Two weeks ago, thousands of people demonstrated against his controversial overhaul of Slovakia’s radio and TV services.

Critics said it would result in the government taking full control of the media.

The proposed changes would mean the public broadcaster known as RTVS would cease to exist and be replaced by a new organisation.

“If Fico takes control of RTVS, it would mean a decisive step on the way towards Orban and Putin,” Michal Simecka, of the main opposition party Progressive Slovakia, told thousands of protesters in the capital Bratislava.

In April, Mr Fico refused to back the implementation of the EU’s new migration system in his country.

The bloc’s new pact set out new security and asylum procedures as well as proposed quotas.

He said: “We are saying unequivocally that you cannot order a country that it must accept, in the Slovak case, up to 300 migrants you know nothing about, or pay €20,000 per each.”

Today’s Green Deals are meant to maximize your summer adventures amongst nature, headlined by the Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro with two 200W Solar Panels that is back at its $1,899 low for your campsite power needs. For your campsite’s meal needs, there is the Pit Boss Table Top Wood Pellet Grill at $240, while none of your adventuring can begin before you finish up your chores around the house – namely shaping up your lawn with the Greenworks 40V 20-inch Cordless Electric Push Mower for $320. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals that are still alive and well.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro bundle with two 200W solar panels hits $1,899 low

With both camping and hurricane seasons right around the corner, you’ll likely need a reliable back up power option as you roam the wilds or bunker down to wait out the storms. To accommodate these needs at a more affordable price, the official Jackery Amazon storefront is offering its Explorer 2000 Pro Portable Power Station with two 200W Solar Panels for $1,899 shipped. Down from its usual $3,599 price tag, it has already seen five previous discounts since the new year began, with the two biggest ones repeating the same drop to the $1,899 low like today’s deal. All-in-all, you’re looking at a massive $1,700 markdown that is usually reserved for major sales events like Black Friday or Christmas – which, even then, sat $100 higher, giving you a rare opportunity to stock up at the best rate we’ve tracked.

Providing a 2,160Wh capacity and 2,200W of max power output, Jackery’s Explorer 2000 Pro boasts the usual smart controls by syncing your smartphone, letting you monitor and adjust settings as you need while also giving you remaining power levels and helping you to manage power consumption. When hooked up to a maximum of six Jackery SolarSaga 200W solar panels, it can full recharge from 0 to 100% in less than three hours – or in just two hours via a wall outlet. With its eight ports, all your device’s charging needs and appliance’s power needs will be covered: three ACs, two USB-As, two USB-Cs, and one car port. You can also find the Explorer 2000 Pro bundled with only one 100W solar panel at a $1,000 markdown for $1,399. Or get the power station alone for $1,199.

Pit Boss’ Table Top Wood Pellet Grill now $240

With so many people gearing up for summer adventures, mainly in the form of road trips and camping excursions, Amazon is now offering the Pit Boss Table Top Wood Pellet Grill for $239.85 shipped. Regularly fetching $369, after 2023’s wild ups and downs between $220 and its MSRP, it ended last year at $191, the lowest price we have seen since 2022. Since the new year began, things have become more stagnant, spending the first three months at full price and barely budging during discounts. April saw the first break up of this monotony, with today’s deal coming in to repeat the savings as a $129 markdown that lands at the second-lowest price we have tracked in the last two years – only $84 above the all-time low from 2022.

This portable wood pellet grill is a wonderful addition to your camping arsenal with its compact 15-inch by 24-inch by 19-inch design. It utilizes wood pellets as a fuel source in order to give your food the smoky flavor you crave while also putting off less emissions than that of charcoal. You’ll have a wide 180-degree to 500-degree range to play with, letting you do anything from quick sears at high temperatures to low and slow cooking for classic BBQ meals – you can even sear food with direct 1000-degree heat, if you like. Its dial-in digital control board gives you real-time data through its LED display while also keeping stable temperatures so you don’t have to stress.

Greenworks 40V 20-inch Cordless Electric Push Mower returns to $320 low

Amazon is offering a lightning deal on the Greenworks 40V 20-inch Cordless Electric Push Mower for $319.99 shipped. Normally fetching $400, this particular model has seen few discounts since the new year began, with only two having occurred in March and April to the same $320 Amazon low. We have seen it go for less elsewhere in the past, dropping as low as $249. Today’s deal still comes in as a solid $80 markdown that returns costs to the lowest price we have tracked on Amazon.

With this lawn mower’s 40V brushless motor and 4.0Ah battery, you’ll have all you need to tackle yards up to 1/3 acre in size on a single charge (keep in mind that rates may vary based on the terrain and operator technique). It sports a durable 20-inch steel deck topped with LED headlights for early morning and late evening jobs, with a folding design that “saves 70% more space in seconds with vertical storage.” It offers a 7-position height-adjustment, with a 4-in-1 design allowing you to mulch, side discharge, and rear-bag your grass clippings, as well as kick it into a higher gear for turbo leaf pickup.

If you’re looking for a bigger and badder piece of equipment for your lawn, Amazon is still offering the Greenworks 60V 42-inch Cordless Electric CrossoverZ Zero Turn Riding Mower for $3,797, down from $4,800. Sitting atop a 42-inch reinforced 12-gauge steel cutting deck, this mower sports a 60V TRUBRUSHLESS motor that was designed to handle up to 1.5-acres of land on a single charge of its four included 8.0Ah batteries. You’ll also find its predecessor, the 60V 42-inch Cordless Electric CrossoverT Riding Mower for $3,497, down from $4,300. While it offers most of the same features and similar specs, the main difference here is the missing zero-turn maneuverability and control.

Spring e-bike deals!

• Juiced JetCurrent Pro Foldable e-bike (pre-order): $2,299 (Reg. $2,799)
• Super73 RX Electric Motorbike: $2,000 (Reg. $3,695)
• Juiced’s HyperScrambler 2: $1,999 (Reg. $3,499)
• Aventon Abound Cargo e-bike with $372 in free accessories: $1,799 (Reg. $2,199)
• Rad Powers RadWagon 4 Cargo e-bike with free extra battery: $1,599 (Reg. $1,799)
• Rad Powers RadRunner Plus Utility e-bike with free extra battery: $1,599 (Reg. $1,799)
• Blix Packa Genie Cargo e-bike with $237 in free accessories: $1,599 (Reg. $2,099)
• Rad Powers RadCity 5 Plus Commuter e-bike: $1,399 (Reg. $1,699)
• Blix Ultra Fat-Tire All-Terrain e-bike with $383 in free accessories: $1,399 (2,099)
• Lectric XPress 750 High-Step e-bike with extra battery (pre-order): $1,299 (Reg. $1,799)
• Lectric XPress 750 Step-Thru e-bike with extra battery (pre-order): $1,299 (Reg. $1,799)
• Vanpowers UrbanGlide Standard e-bike: $1,099 (Reg. $1,299)
• Schwinn Ridgewood Electric Mountain Bike: $800 (Reg. $1,500)
• Schwinn Ingersoll Electric Hybrid Bike: $700 (Reg. $1,500)

Other new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.