What do the different parties believe?

If they stuck to those definitions, I think the Liberals would walk it! Sadly they don't though. It seems to be more about greasing palms, social nepotism (that's what I call it anyway), doing something grandiose that places them firmly in history and furthering their own ends more so than ensuring that the public are well cared for.

Britain is on the brink of becoming a nation permanently divided between rich and poor, according to the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission in its second annual state of the nation report.

It also predicts that 2010-2020 will be the first decade since records began that saw a rise in absolute poverty – defined as a household in which income is below 60% of median earnings

Strange how that trend has been in motion for 20 years and it doesn't appear anywhere in the collective blurb does it ...

I think the definition of Conservatives is broadly right ( so to speak) but the others I would take issue with. Socialism does not describe the Labour Party and the abolition of Clause 4 meant that the whole issue of common property ownership etc is no longer part of what the Labour Party stands for. Neither are the Lib Dems liberal in the sense described above - some lds are eg the so called Orange Book lds such as David Law but not Nick Clegg. Each party is quite a broad church and that's one reason why deciding which way to vote is quite tricky - which wing will dominate if a particular party gets into power?

I believe they are saying what they believe we want to hear. I personally don't believe any of them. If they were telling the truth they would have done some of the things they're promising already or at least put en train the means by which to begin the process. I haven't a clue how Ill be voting on this occasion. I feel like banging their heads together

On the subject of 'absolute poverty', I can never get my head round the figures. The average yearly UK income is £26,500, apparently, but is that before or after tax?

Should we be taking a figure of approximately £16,000 p.a. as being borderline 'absolute poverty' or should it be below that?

What comprises a 'household'?

There must be a hell of a lot of pensioner households in absolute poverty if their only income is their state pension!

There are Ana, I seem to remember 40% of pensioners are eligible for Pension Credit. This is going down because of the triple lock and other actions but it is a pretty stunning statistic. The new, single tier pension will bring that decrease down (up?) quicker.

Part of the problem of poverty is how you measure it. That is not to say I do not believe it is increasing but that I do not understand the measurement or measurements.

I think the Joseph Rowntree Trust quoted £16,000 a one point and you could get Working Tax Credit up to that point Ana but I seem to remember (haven't checked) that they used different figures for pensioners.

The Labour Party socialism one gave me pause for thought GrannyTwice but I do wonder if you (one) would be inclined to agree with the one you lean towards. Ummm ... not sure but I notice I agree with the one where my sympathies broadly lie .

If the Labour Party one seems out of date is that because they are no longer socialist or would Labour Party members still see this definition as correct?

A household is whatever it is - one person in a dwelling is still a household.

The government have laid all the information out (and good luck getting your head around that lot) to explain real and absolute poverty: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325416/households-below-average-income-1994-1995-2012-2013.pdf

I can't wade through that at this time of the evening!

And yes, the 'household' element is confusing.

Surely a single person whose income is £16,000 could hardly be classed as living in absolute poverty, whereas a family comprising five or six members, only one of whom is a wage-earner, would be.

(to the layman like me, I mean)

I couldn't face it either at this time of night - I started browsing the words and just saw blah blah blah blah; so something to tackle another time.

I did read another bit that threw a new perspective on the definition of poverty. People will say 'compared to those in Africa, none of us live in poverty' but poverty is defined by what, as part of your society, you would be reasonably expected to be able to participate in.

I do agree with your final comment though. Maybe someone more clued up will explain all for us.

It all sounds very altruistic, Gracesgran - in theory.

In practice it all seems very different.