Armstrong - The New Poverty

This book began with articles written for Unreported Britain a project run by the Orwell Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in response to the breaking of the umbilical link between the centre and the regions and the absence of accurate, well-researched reporting from communities across the country. Jean Seaton at the Orwell Foundation and Abigail Scott Paul at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation invited me to take part and provided funding to cover extended periods of research. The Joseph Rowntree Foundations team of local activists proved the best possible source of stories. Janine Gibson and Harriet Sherwood at the Guardian and Jane Bruton and Christopher Hope at the Daily Telegraph commissioned the final pieces. Without them the book wouldnt exist.

Maruxa Ruiz del Arbol, my friend and colleague now sadly returned to El Pas, co-researched and co-wrote the first series of articles and helped define the mission. Leo Hollis at Verso had long-term faith and showed extreme patience for which Im exceptionally grateful. Cat Ledger, my excellent agent, was equally forbearing. Mark Martin and Dan Harding provided expert and necessary editing; Jim Carter proofread tirelessly, and Alan Rutter indexed order out of chaos. Thank you all and thank you. Stephanie Le Lievre at the Orwell Foundation sorted so many things out.

I was helped by an enormous number of people across the country some of them named in the book, some not. Particular thanks go to Malcolm Walker, Ian Cawley, Peter Gowland, Peter Robinson and Maxy Bianco in Hartlepool; Barbara Nettleton, Donna Hall, Rachel Stafford and Mike Ridell in Wigan; Daniel Flynn and his excellent team in Stoke-on-Trent; Jim McCormick, Alan McNiven, Annabelle Armstrong, Sharon McAulay and Emma Richardson in Paisley; David Farrell and Lesley Stewart in Glasgow; the diligent Jeremy Bailey, Mike Hutin and Rachel Howells in Port Talbot; Shona Alexander and John Wildman in Newcastle; Emma Pole, Richard Bellamy and James Grieve in Folkestone; Ian Wilson and Nick ODonovan in Wakefield; Lauri McCusker, Hazel Gardiner and Dermot Finlay in Fermanagh; Quintin Oliver in Belfast; Anwen Hughes; Anne Birkett from the Farmers Union of Wales; Hugh Milroy and his daughter Vicky in the Cotswolds; Lesley Smith and Victoria Winckler in Merthyr Tydfil; Rebecca Pawley, Anna Hiley and Wayne Henderson at Inclusion Healthcare; Miriam Holland in Leicester; Emily May in London; Luke Primarolo in Shirebrook; and Bob Wilson and Eileen Gallagher in Liverpool, as well as a number of people who preferred to remain unnamed.

I was also helped by the expertise of Lisa McKenzie, LSE; Rob Holdsworth and Natalie Cox at the Resolution Foundation; Dr Kingsley Purdam at the University of Manchester; Sam Royston and Faith Dawes at the Childrens Society; Liz Chinchen at Unison and Shaun Noble at Unite; Matthew Upton at the Citizens Advice Bureau; Aubrey Sheiham at UCL; Adrian Curtiss at the Trussell Trust; the Institute for Fiscal Studies; the Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change; Rachel Orr at Oxfam; Mike Parker at the Webb Memorial Trust; John Bibby and Haidee ODonnell at Shelter; Dr Martin Moore in the Policy Institute at Kings College London; and Cathy Bennett at Fingertips Typing.

Personal thanks go to Helen Hawkins, the best editor a journalist could have; Al Deakin, Simon Wilson, Ed Waller, Undaleeb Qazi, DVN and Sandra Forde; Ken and Jill Coles and their family for immense generosity; Clare Birchall for helping me find my way forward; my family for hanging on during the worst year of our lives; and to Rosa and Tess for making everything brilliant again.