NEOLIBERAL ECONOMIC POLICIES AND CHILDREN IN THE UK: A CRISIS UNFOLDING

Abstract

The UK has been a leader in the promotion of neoliberal economic policies (Couldry, 2010).  Global economic change and the last financial crisis have enabled the imposition of “austerity” (Jordan & Drakeford, 2012) and reductions to the UK welfare state. The consequences of these “austerity” policies have been increased numbers of citizens dependent on food banks, visible increases to homelessness and reductions in expenditure on education, social welfare and health services (Strier, 2013).