cumbria poverty

The tag 'cumbria poverty' covers discussions about economic hardship in Cumbria, including a controversy involving Tory MP Rory Stewart. Stewart made remarks about constituents in Penrith and the Borders, describing some as 'primitive people holding up their trousers with bits of twine' and joking about a boy run over by a tractor. He later apologized, calling his comments 'extremely foolish,' and explained they were intended to counter the idea that Cumbria was wealthy enough to withstand spending cuts. The thread highlights tensions between political rhetoric and the reality of poverty in the region.