Book review: why fight poverty? by Julia Unwin

This book looks back at the struggle to rid the UK of poverty and asks if the struggle is worth it. What would a poverty free country be like if we could overcome the obstacles which impede progress? Julia Unwin asserts that attempts to end poverty have floundered partly because they are not supported by the public. At the core of the fight against poverty therefore is a need to change public perceptions, misconceptions and prejudices and to better identify, understand and challenge the deep-rooted emotional responses that cause them. Reviewed by Elaine Kellman.