After the First Minister unveiled his Programme for Government, Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly said:
“It was good to hear a promise to eradicate child poverty – and we welcome the further development of the Whole Family Wellbeing approach. However, we know that secure, adequate incomes are the bedrock of efforts to eradicate poverty. That means progressively increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £55 a week by the end of this Parliament. Without that scale of change, it’s hard to see how the First Minister will keep that promise to Scotland’s children.
“We should be proud of our NHS and public services in Scotland. We all rely on them, and they are a vital foundation for people on low incomes. But any changes to our councils and health boards must put people’s needs first. This cannot be just a mask for further cuts to budgets.
“It’s disappointing that the Government hasn’t promised to finally scrap the unjust and regressive council tax. The Mansion Tax will help – but local budgets are in crisis, and this isn’t the kind of fundamental reform we need for a better future.
“In a similar way – a £2 bus fare is welcome, but without local control and public ownership this money amounts to a further subsidy to private bus companies. The promised Better Buses law must do better.
“Throughout this Parliament, the Poverty Alliance will work to make sure people on low income have their voices heard by politicians – and we’ll carry on calling for better budgets now so that we can build a better Scotland in the years to come.¨
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