The Latest Breaking News from Sure Start

The Tories put British children’s prospects of escaping a poor background into reverse. This is Labour’s chance to fix that, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

The damage that ongoing fighting will cause to young minds is incalculable. A peace plan that prioritises their needs is vital, says former UK prime minister Gordon Brown

Childcare features prominently in both major parties’ plans for work and personal finance. Keir Starmer wants to make early-years provision as universal as possible while the Conservatives claim they’re already transforming childcare and increasing funding to both boost children’s development and get mothers back to work.

Experts say Keir Starmer’s plans to cut serious crime levels are ambitious. The party also hopes to restore faith in the criminal justice system but with limited extra resources

A quarter of Britain’s children live below the poverty line. Near his Fife home, the former PM shows how charities help families and says this issue must be a priority for any government

Head of Church of England Justin Welby tells Observer that ending policy would lift thousands of children out of poverty

We know about the hardship of ‘Thatcher’s children’, but a new generation of Tories has raised inequality to even higher levels, says the former UK prime minister Gordon Brown

Former prime minister proposes £3bn support package for ‘blighted generation’, including Sure Start relaunch

A new report shows how transformational the initiative was. But Keir Starmer’s early-years plans lack the same vision, says journalist Terri White