Category Archives: Poverty

We live in a peculiar crevice in the history of time. As the pioneer of Amazon experiences unassailable post-pandemic wealth and the chasm widens between those who are surviving, striving and thriving, never has Dickens’ opening line in A Tale of Two Cities felt more appropriate. In 1859, he wrote: “It was the best ofContinue reading “What the Dickens is Going On?”

What will the long-term legacy of Boris Johnson be? The American philosopher William James once said: “The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” You would think that when Conservative cheerleaders like Daily Telegraph columnist Allister Health and The Spectator editor Fraser Nelson turn against you then yourContinue reading “The Saviours of the Welfare State?”

“The Scottish Government is taking a different route on poverty and this will be an important issue, politically and constitutionally.”   Ewan Gurr: ‘Benefit rises at forefront of public consciousness’ (eveningtelegraph.co.uk) This article appeared in the print edition of the Evening Telegraph on 15/02/2021 On two occasions, once after leaving school and another time following redundancy, I fell uponContinue reading “Different Approaches to Tackling Poverty”

“There is great power when real people experiencing real hardship take back the reins of the conversation from the professionals.” Ewan Gurr: ‘Taking poverty back from the professionals’ – Evening Telegraph This article appeared in the print edition of the Evening Telegraph 18/01/2021 It is not every day a picture a friend took on her phone endsContinue reading “Taking Poverty Back from the Professionals”

“With every passing week, month and year, I was encountering men, women and children experiencing poverty who shared their stories.” All of us appreciate a story. They often act as a universal language which have the potential to both anchor us within the world and, on occasion, transport us to another place. The bestselling AmericanContinue reading “The Powerful Stories Behind the Statistics”

“The empirical evidence is clear – lockdowns lead to poverty, which is why we must exert caution over their use.“ This article appeared in the print edition of the Evening Telegraph: 19/10/2020 With the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom having implemented some form of lockdown within a week of each other, it couldContinue reading “Lockdowns Unleash a Pandemic of Poverty”

“Dundee does indeed face significant economic and social challenges but our city and our people stand together ready to respond.” This article appeared in the print edition of the Evening Telegraph: 24/08/2020 [Online] Available: https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/ewan-gurr-dundee-bairns-providing-300000-meals-in-four-years-is-staggering-reminder-of-challenges-facing-our-city/  [Accessed: 2020, Aug 25] The announcement that local charity Dundee Bairns provided its 300,000th meal in only four years isContinue reading “300,000 Meals for Children in Dundee”

“Devastating news emerged last week about the loss of a Dundonian gran aged 61 who died weighing just three stone.” This article appeared in the print edition of the Evening Telegraph: 27/07/2020 [Online] Available: https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/ewan-gurr-earlier-change-may-have-extended-christines-life/  [Accessed: 2020, Jul 28]  Devastating news emerged last week concerning the loss of a 61-year-old Dundonian grandmother who, at theContinue reading “Scotland’s New Approach Could Save Lives”

“To make poverty history we need to make poverty personal and our response must be shaped by that lived experience.” An abbreviated version of the quotes in this article appeared in the print edition of The Courier: 04/07/2020 [Online] Available: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/perth-kinross/1394732/g8-summit-15th-anniversary-will-poverty-ever-be-history/  [Accessed: 2020, Jul 05]  In July 2005, the eyes of the world turned uponContinue reading “Will We Ever Make Poverty History?”