Britain Cuts Poverty Using U.S.-Style Methods

Ten years ago, nearly 25 percent of British children were poor. Now, that figure stands at 11 percent.

"Prime Minister Tony Blair points to that progress as one of the top achievements of his nine years in power. His critics say he hasn't helped the very poorest, and has fostered dependency while running up a budget deficit."

"Many of Mr. Blair's ideas came straight from the U.S., which has made little headway against child poverty over the past decade. Under Mr. Blair, Britain has adopted a minimum wage, created a Head Start-like program for toddlers, and bolstered tax credits for the working poor like those in the U.S."

"Britain's success has come with some trade-offs, Mr. Blair's critics say. New spending programs have contributed to turning Britain's budget surplus of the late 1990s into a deficit equal to about 3% of the nation's annual output."

"Britain enjoys some advantages over the U.S. in pushing a nationwide antipoverty campaign. Its central government has the power to coordinate efforts, unlike in the U.S., where a tangle of federal and state programs address poverty. With Britons long accustomed to state-run health care, big government programs don't raise nearly the political ruckus here that they do in Washington."

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