(c) PA
From the Scottish Government website on 27th:
‘Long-term risk due to UK Government welfare cuts. Independent analysis due to be published alongside the Scottish Government’s first Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan shows the extent of damage caused by UK Government welfare cuts. The analysis outlines projections of child poverty rates in Scotland on the basis of announced tax and benefit changes, and the consequent increases in poverty levels.’
Communities Secretary Angela Constance said:
‘This reveals the long-term damage of UK Government welfare cuts and austerity, with alarming increases across every measure of child poverty. We know the damage that has been caused already, but what alarms me is that the worst is still to come, with £4 billion annual cuts by the end of this decade set to take a stark toll on families and children. Addressing inequalities is core to everything we do to make Scotland fairer and more equal. That includes spending over £100 million every year to protect people from the worst impact of UK Government welfare cuts – money that could be better spent on preventing poverty.’
https://news.gov.scot/news/tackling-child-poverty-2
Scotland is the only part of the UK with statutory targets to tackle child poverty marking its government out as one which cares more for the people than the rich elites and corporations at the heart of the Tory party’s loyalties.
After 10 years of SNP-rule, none of Scotland’s local authorities feature in the 25 worst in the UK for child poverty:
Footnote: Scotland now has the lowest level of adult poverty outside of the South of England. See:
Talking-up Scotland 
Every child should have the same start in life and the same opportunities as all others, and I’m impressed that the Scottish government is trying to resolve the inequalities. Background and family circumstance does not dictate, or rather should not, the potential abilities of any child – we need to make the most of these resources.
The graph on adult poverty is interesting (assuming each bar uses the same measure of poverty – sometimes they change the definition?), if you look at the change in each from each era – Scotland shows little change from 1994 – which indicates stability, less influence from boom/bust financial markets? It would be nice to see an improvement, but considering the hardships imposed on us, it’s quite impressive. All other places show an increase in the 2014-2016 period.
Interesting also that the richest place, London, shows the highest poverty levels – good indicator of the biggest inequality?
A truly equal society might be impossible to achieve, but that’s no reason not to aim for it, and the best place to start, to my mind, is with children.
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Hear! Hear!
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