GLASGOW has suffered the worst poverty in the UK for almost half a century, according to a new study.

Through the seventies with power cuts, strikes and three day weeks, the rising unemployment of the eighties under Margaret Thatcher, then the regeneration of Glasgow in the nineties, Labour Governments of Blair and Brown and right through to the Tory austerity of the last decade, Glasgow’s poorest areas have come out consistently the worst for deprivation.

Researchers have analysed deprivation statistics across the UK from every census between 1971 and 2011 and found the ten most deprived areas over the period are all in Glasgow.

Read more:Child poverty in Glasgow worst in Scotland: How bad it is area by area

While the study found large increases in deprivation in large English cities, including London, Liverpool and Birmingham, specific parts of Glasgow fared worst.

The ten most deprived areas, measuring one square kilometre over the period were in seven council wards in Glasgow.

Three were in Calton, two in North East, and one each in Govan, Canal, Baillieston, Springburn and Drumchapel/Anniesland.

Latest child poverty statistics for 2016 showed that Glasgow had a much higher rate than the rest of Scotland with 34% of children in poverty, but in the most deprived areas this increased to almost 60% of all children.

Other studies show that since 2011 the situation has not improved.

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation shows 190,000 Glaswegians almost one third of the population live in the 10% most deprived areas in Scotland.

And almost half of Glasgow’s people, 283,000 people, reside in the 20% of most deprived areas in Scotland.

The latest research, `Deprivation Change in Britain’ found that poverty in these areas is become even more of a problem.

Read more:Poverty among people with a job has rocketed in last decade

Chris Lloyd, Professor of Quantitative Geography, at the University of Liverpool’s Department of Geography & Planning, said: “These findings show just how persistent deprivation is, and they also show how concentrations of deprivation in urban areas are actually growing.”

“The study shows that the experience of people living in deprived areas can be very different; in some neighbourhoods, high levels of deprivation are all that residents have known, while in others a combination of population change within areas and migration into and out of these areas, as well as economic fluctuations, mean that levels of deprivation have increased markedly in recent years.”

The study used new analytical methods to measure changing populations in each area and data on unemployment, overcrowding and car access.

It tracked poverty in communities through time as some have been regenerated with new housing and facilities but deprivation has remained a constant, and constantly higher than other parts of the UK.

Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “Glasgow's deep-seated and complex deprivation issues require a long-term, cohesive, multi-stranded approach to eradicating poverty in the city by helping to create a more sustainable and inclusive economy for all of our citizens. 

“This includes identifying and helping job creation and training in emerging job sectors, investing in education and raising attainment and the aspirations of our young people and empowering communities as a whole.

“Our strategic plan outlines, over the next five years, outlines how we are committed to deliver a step change in how we promote human rights and reduce inequalities across Glasgow, improve the life chances and choices for all our citizens, embed social justice in our policy making, empower our citizens, giving them a stake, and a say, in what happens in their local communities and communities of interest.

“Our vision is very much to have a world class city with a thriving, inclusive, economy where everyone  can flourish and benefit from the city’s success.”