3 MILLION CHILDREN IN WORKING FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY: SNP RENEWS CALLS FOR POVERTY AND INEQUALIT
The SNP has renewed calls for a UK wide poverty and inequality commission to combat the impact of the Tories’ "cruel" austerity agenda after new research revealed nearly 3 million children in working families are living in poverty – up 800,000 since the Tories came into power in 2010.
The research - published by the Trades Union Congress today - also highlighted that nearly 500,000 children had been pushed into poverty by Tory and Lib Dem welfare cuts.
Whilst the Scottish National Party (SNP) The Scottish Government has set ambitious targets to eradicate child poverty and invested over £100 million a year to protect people from the worst aspects of Tory austerity policies – UK government welfare reforms are set to increase child poverty to 29% in 2023/24, according to the Resolution Foundation.
The SNP has also called on the next UK government to introduce a package of action on child poverty which must include introducing an equivalent to the “game-changing” Scottish Child Payment and re-establishing UK-wide legal targets for ending child poverty, after the Tories abolished them in 2016.
Commenting, SNP North Ayrshire & Arran Candidate, Patricia Gibson said:
“This research shows the stark reality of life in the UK after a decade of Tory cuts - on 12th December a vote for the SNP is a vote to escape cruel Tory austerity cuts such as the two-child cap, the rape clause, the harmful benefits sanctions regime, and the disastrous roll-out of Universal Credit. It is also a vote to escape Brexit, which will hit those on low incomes the hardest.
“The SNP’s plan for a UK Poverty and Inequality Commission will help ensure these cruel and callous policies are never again inflicted on Scotland or across the UK.
"While the SNP Scottish Government is using the powers we currently have to mitigate Tory austerity, we know that only with full powers over social security and employment can we introduce inclusive and progressive policies to end poverty and support our citizens to build a better future.
“A vote for the SNP is a vote to give Scotland a choice over our future and to tackle the deep-seated inequalities in our society - shifting the curve on poverty without our efforts being undermined by another government’s policies.”
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