Rob Brydon and His Fabulous Band's:- 'Festive Night Of Songs and Laughter Tour' is heading to Liverpool!

AFTER a sell out West End performance in 2024 Rob Brydon is taking his celebrated Christmas show around the country. Accompanied by a fabulous 8 piece band Rob will usher in the festive season in his own inimitable style with songs, stories and even an impression or 2, in a wonderful warm hearted evening for all the family.

Rob and his band took UK critics and audiences by storm in 2022 before playing to sold out venues across Australia and New Zealand in 2023 and returned to the UK and Ireland back in 2024, culminating in a sold out show in London, in December 2024. 
 
Now the show is heading to the:-   Liverpool: Philharmonic, on:- 9 December 2025. For tickets please visit:- LiverpoolPhil.Com.

Rob Brydon's https://rob-brydon.com/ varied career began with the TV comedy shows Marion and Geoff and Human Remains in 2000, for which he won British Comedy Awards.  Since then, his comedy credits have included:- A Small Summer Party, The Keith Barret Show, Directors Commentary, Supernova, Cruise Of The Gods, Black Books, I'm Alan Partridge, Little Britain, Live At The Apollo, Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive, QI, The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, Have I Got News For You, Gavin and Stacey, Rob Brydon's Identity Crisis, Would I Lie To You? and The Trip.
 
He has also appeared in the dramas:- Oliver Twist, Heroes and Villains: Napoleon, The Way We Live Now, Murder In Mind, Kenneth Tynan: In Praise of Hardcore, Marple and the films 24 Hour Party People, MirrorMask, A Cock and Bull Story, Swimming with Men, Cinderella, The Huntsman: Winter's War, Blinded By The Light, Holmes and Watson and Barbie.
 
In 2009, alongside Ruth Jones, Robin Gibb and Sir Tom Jones, Rob reached number 1 in the UK charts with the single Islands in:- 'The Stream,' in aid of Comic Relief. He also embarked on an 87 date tour of the UK with his stand up show:- Rob Brydon Live which included a 3 week run in London's West End.  Rob subsequently enjoyed a sold out tour:- Town to Town, with:- Lee Mack and David Mitchell, before completing another sold-out solo tour in 2020.
 
More recently, Rob performed in the 1 off concert:- Old Friends, at The Sondheim Theatre in May 2022 which celebrated the life of the legendary composer Stephen Sondheim and raised funds for the Stephen Sondheim Foundation, which generates new musical theatre talent for the future.
 
Other dates and locations:-

• Sunday, 7 December 2025, at the:- Royal Concert Hall, in Glasgow,
  

• Monday, 8 December 2025, at the:- Bridgwater Hall Hall, in Manchester.
  

• Tuesday, 16 December 2025, at the:- The Cardiff Arena, in Cardiff.

Brighter future for over ½ a million children as Government turns tide on child poverty

NEARLY ½ a million more children will be lifted from poverty following the Government's decision to scrap the 2 child limit in this year's Budget; pulling 450,000 children out of poverty and further bolstering the Government's mission to break down barriers to opportunity across the country.  
 
Taken alongside other measures announced this year, around 550,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by this Government, the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since records began.
 
The 2-child limit has; described by the PM as a:- "ailed social experiment," has been 1 of the biggest drivers of hardship since its introduction in 2017. Around 300,000 children are in poverty directly because of this policy, equivalent to 109 children pushed into hardship every day. Without intervention, 150,000 more would have fallen into poverty.

Children growing up in poverty are far more likely to miss out on the skills and opportunities that lead to secure, well-paid jobs; holding back both their future prospects and economic growth.

Tackling child poverty is an investment in Britain's future: building a stronger economy, unlocking opportunity, and reducing long term dependency on welfare.

The Chancellor has also confirmed plans to remove the vile:- 'rape clause' policy from the statute book, so women no longer need to suffer the indignity of proving if their child has been conceived non-consensually to access support.

Removing the cap is the most cost effective way to reduce child poverty during this Parliament, and scrapping the limit lifts more children out of poverty than any other single policy. The cost of removing the 2 child limit will pay for itself many times over by reducing long term costs of poverty, including:- poorer health, lower educational attainment, and wasted potential.

It will also make a real difference for ordinary working families on Universal Credit; helping cover the cost of essentials like food, heating, and clothing instead of forcing families to struggle and punishing children simply because of the size of their family.

With 4.5 million children currently living in relative poverty, a typical classroom of 30 children will have around 10 experiencing poverty.  Child poverty has a stark impact on education; with children from the lowest-income families less likely to get good GCSEs, and twice as likely to be persistently absent than their better-off peers.

Ending the 2 child limit comes as part of the Government's wider child poverty strategy which will be published in the coming weeks, setting out action to boost family incomes, cut the cost of essentials, and strengthen local support services.

Tackling child poverty is central to the Government's plan for national renewal; delivering security, opportunity, and respect for every family and community. By ending the 2 child limit, the Government is rejecting the failed policies of the past and putting fairness back at the heart of our welfare system, ensuring support is based on need; not arbitrary limits.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:- "This Government is picking up the tab for a failed social experiment which has punished working families and directly pushed hundreds of thousands of children into poverty. We're not going to stand by and let more children needlessly be dragged into hardship. The record highs of child poverty in this country aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet; they mean millions of children are going to bed hungry, falling behind at School, and growing up believing that a better future is out of reach despite their parents doing everything right. That is a moral failure and an economic disaster. That is what those defending this policy are standing for. We cannot afford to pay the price of inaction. Every pound we spend lifting children out of poverty saves more money in the future that would otherwise be spent dealing with the lasting scars of child poverty in adulthood; whether that's poor health, dependency on welfare, or struggling to find and keep a decent job. This isn't just the right thing to do; it is an investment in Britain's future. By putting fairness back at the heart of our social security system, we will give every child the best start in life."

Responding to this announcement, MP for Burnley, Oliver Ryan saying:- "This is a hugely positive Budget for Burnley, Padiham and Brierfield. Lifting the 2 child benefit cap will benefit 5,170 children locally, helping families with the basics and giving more children the fair start they deserve."

MP for Manchester Rusholme, Afzal Khan also responded:- "Today's Budget is huge step in the right direction. Eliminating child poverty is the most important moral mission for any Labour Government and scrapping the 2 child benefit cap will go a long way to achieving that. 5110 children in my constituency live in poverty because of the cap and Labour's action today will change that."

MP for Bolton South and Walkden, Yasmin Quershi echoed this sating:- "I'm delighted the Chancellor has heard what families across Bolton South and Walkden have been calling for, removing the 2 child benefit cap and taking thousands of children out of poverty. This Budget has made the right choices, choosing to rebalance our economy to be fairer and ensuring that every child has the best start in life"

MP for Worsley and Eccles, Michael Wheeler added:- "This Budget delivers the fair and responsible choices people in Worsley and Eccles and across the country need. It helps cut the cost of living, tackles child poverty, strengthens our NHS, invests in our communities, and gets Britain's economy growing again. Here in our community, ending the 2 child limit in Universal Credit alone could benefit around 2,600 children, while nationally it will help lift 450,000 children out of poverty. This is the kind of change people need and deserve after years of underinvestment."

Adding to the statements, Education Secretary and Co-Chair of the Ministerial Taskforce on Child Poverty, Bridget Phillipson commented:- "The evidence is clear; for too long, poverty has been an immovable barrier to opportunity for far too many children across this country.  Now, we're breaking it down. We're removing the 2 child limit and the cruel:- ''rape clause' policy to restore dignity to the lives of families across our country, which also means more teachers focused on teaching and more children focused on lessons. We choose to show children that no matter your background, whether you're the third child born into your family or not; this Government sees you, we value you, we back you to go on to do all you can achieve in life."
  
Children who are hungry and living in unsuitable accommodation are not coming to School ready to learn, and Schools are forced to divert resources to support them; meaning entire classes can be held back. By age 5, children eligible for free School meals are already 5 months behind. By the end of secondary, that has widened to 19 months.  
 
With too many teachers reporting children unable to focus on learning the Government has said enough is enough.  It is taking action to tackle child poverty at its source, ending the 2 child benefit limit; the single biggest driver of child poverty numbers to give families dignity, and children the future, they deserve.  
 
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves has publicly said that:- "Every child deserves an equal chance to fulfil their potential and for every child that grows up in poverty, we all pay the price. When children go hungry and cold, talent goes to waste and we all lose out. That is why I'm proud that we will lift more children out of poverty in a single Parliament than any other since records began."
  
Dan Paskins, Executive Director of UK Impact at Save the Children UK in a press statement has told us:- "The Government is right to recognise that children have paid the price of a poorly thought out policy for far too long. We warmly welcome this momentous change and the leadership that the Prime Minister and Chancellor are showing.  This is a big investment in our country's future prosperity.  We should not forget that the majority of children growing up in poverty are in working families. Tackling child poverty is both morally right and vital for economic growth. If we reduce child poverty now, children are more likely to do well at School and get good jobs in the future, contributing more and costing less for decades to come. We hope this is the start of a powerful legacy on tackling child poverty for the UK Government. Children deserve the best childhood, and should never be held back by the circumstances of their birth."
 
Mark Russell, Chief Executive, The Children's Society has remarked:- "Removing the 2 child limit is a game changing moment for children. It will give families who've been stretched to breaking point some immediate relief and I'm so grateful to the Chancellor and Prime Minister for being willing to take bold decisions that prioritise children, even in a challenging economic climate, because it is not just the right thing to do, it helps our country's future too. This major step opens the door for further progress; and we look forward to the child poverty strategy, to build a future where every child grows up safe, secure and able to thrive."
 
Expressing her opinion on this matter, Alison Garnham, CEO, Child Poverty Action Group has gone on record saying:- "Lifting children out of poverty is the right thing to do, giving kids a happier today and stronger tomorrow.  This decision to support the country's children will strengthen our nation too. Now is the moment to commit to a future where no child grows up in poverty."
 
Following the rollout of free breakfast clubs, extension of free School meals, national expansion of Best Start Family Hubs and investment in Government funded childcare, this is the latest in a number of measures already taken to transform children's life chances and save families thousands every year. 
 
This comes as the latest Good Learning Development data reveals Government action taking root, with green shoots appearing towards its target to get 75% of children School-ready by age 5.  This year, 68.3% had a good level of development, up from 67.7% last year and 65.2% following the pandemic in 2021.  And the Government has laid the foundations to fast-track improvements next year. From April, Best Start Family Hubs will roll out in every local area to give families access to vital support, and the Government's £9 billion investment will further increase access to 30 hours Government funded childcare; saving families up to £7,500 and supporting children with the expert early years support they need to get School ready. 
 
This comes on top of an uplift to the Early Years Pupil Premium by an unprecedented 45% from £388 to £570 per child per year, giving settings more resources to support disadvantaged children when development gaps 1st emerge. 

The Government has also taken significant steps to get more people into work and make work pay; from raising the National Living Wage to over £12 an hour, introducing the Employment Rights Bill to strengthen protections like sick pay and parental leave, and launching the:- "Get Britain Working" plan to tackle economic inactivity, reforming job centres and improving the wider employment support offer backed by £3.5 billion. But with almost 3 quarters of children in poverty in working families, it's clear helping people into work alone isn't the silver bullet solution and there's more to do. The upcoming child poverty strategy will set out how the Government is going further and taking a whole system approach to address all the drivers and root causes of child poverty, building on existing action the Government has taken.

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