In the first year of a Labour government, the number of those living in poverty has shot up to 99,000. This means that a quarter of the Maltese population is either materially deprived, severely materially deprived, socially excluded or at least at risk of poverty. This has been confirmed recently by the National Office of Statistics (NSO) which has once again carried out the survey on Social Income and Living Conditions (SILC). This study has been carried out using the same scientific criteria for almost as long as we have been members of the EU.

The rise of the severely materially deprived: the poor getting poorer

The 99,000 figure, in itself, already specifies that there has been a substantial increase in those falling into the "at risk of poverty" category. However, the other published figures give rise to even more serious concerns. I prefer not bang the drum over the figures for those thousands who cannot afford to go on holiday, as was the custom with a labour Opposition. But I will focus on the fact that the number of those "severely materially deprived", that is, those lacking basic needs, has increased by 2,000 in year 2013, which is by itself telling.  8,081, not affording a good meal with either meat, fish or chicken at least every other day and 6,283 people finding it unaffordable to keep their house at an adequate temperature are without doubt figures of grave concern

This means that we are not talking here about people who regularly eat out in restaurants. We are talking about those for whom cost-of-living increases on essential products means more than a gentle pinch, but hits them rather hard. These are the people who would have probably worried less about across-the-board increases in car licence costs and more about the stability of public transport costs. These are the people who have been further marginalised and pushed farther to the sides in 2013.

An increase in the average wage in 2012 and an increase in poverty in 2013

The SILC survey confirms not only the substantial increase in the average wage in 2012 - the last year of the Gonzi administration - but also confirms the increase in poverty and severe material deprivation in 2013, Labour's first year in government. This might appear somewhat strange: how can it be that average wages have consistently increased during times of international economic crisis and poverty remains on the rise in spite of a currently much better international economic climate?

Nonetheless, weird or not, the SILC survey only confirms the trends established in other studies. The Labour Force Survey has confirmed that the average income, in the years prior to the last general election, was increasing at an average of €500 per annum, contrasting sharply with the meagre increase of €96 in the first year of a Labour administration. No wonder then that the Eurostat has stated that sales from shops and online shopping in Malta have fallen by 2.5 per cent, the highest registered fall in the EU. No wonder then that many have been further pushed down from the "materially deprived category" to the "severely materially deprived" category.

The underdog and the underclass

Throughout history, the Labour Party has presented itself as the protector and saviour of the poor, the powerless, the deprived and anyone falling under the umbrella of the 'underclass'. This was no less the case at the last election, when Labour was at the same time doing its best to lure the previously much despised 'fat cats' to its ranks.

In his electoral programme for 2013-2018, Joseph Muscat, presenting himself as the underdog, promised to obliterate the underclass. Labour has indeed promised to eradicate poverty from its roots, once and for all. When it was in Opposition, it denounced the results of each and every SILC survey, conveniently ignoring the grim economic international context and the austerity measures taken by other European countries. One would like to think that political expediency had nothing to do with this and that Labour's spokesmen genuinely believed in the cause and in the SILC measurement instrument they were incessantly quoting.

Labour in denial

Now that the tables have turned and the same scientific instrument with exactly the same European scientific criteria can be used to hold a Labour government to account, the cheap propaganda strategy of playing on emotions will neither work for Labour nor for the poor. Only a well-thought-out and carefully coordinated strategy will. Unfortunately, such a strategy - to seriously combat poverty - is still lacking almost two years down the line.

Our Social Policy Minister Michael Farrugia is either too busy doing ostrich stunts, denying any sense of responsibility for the rise in poverty in 2013, or ruffling someone else's feathers and shamelessly taking credit for the wage increases of 2012 when his government was still in opposition. The SILC study shows exactly the opposite.

A poor strategy for the poor

The recent SILC figures on poverty have, however, prompted the government to hastily re-announce a measure introducing a child supplement that had already been announced a few months ago by the former Minister for the Family and Social Solidarity. Several months later, the measure is still half-baked, with the consequence that its rushed re-announcement attracted criticism from parents and teachers alike. While Minister Farrugia has been frowned upon for breaking his predecessor's word on the eligibility of the third child for the supplement, he was also politely chided by his colleague the Education Minister regarding the implementation process proposed. Promising to eradicate poverty is one thing but actually eradicating it requires more than green papers and pretentious declarations.