The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has said that driving down poverty must be at the heart of the new Scottish government if John Swinney is to fulfil his manifesto promise.
The charity says that radical action is needed to tackle the issue, and that it must be central to all cabinet and government priorities.
There are legally binding targets which mean the child poverty rates must be cut to less than 10 per cent by 2030/31, and so lifting 100,000 children out of poverty. The charity has said that the SNP government must fulfil their manifesto pledge which confirmed that the party’s “defining mission” would be to “eradicate child poverty”.
A JRF analysis of the main party manifestos concluded that they all fell “well short” of the action needed to meet the child poverty reduction targets, and that meeting them will require a powerful cabinet role, buy-in from around the cabinet table, and a civil service laser-focused on this priority.
The charity added that key actions are needed on the labour market and economic development, local government funding, housing, mental health, childcare, and social security.
These include making childcare available and affordable for low-income households, rebuilding Scotland’s economy with a focus on areas that are struggling, and “ensuring that key public services are there for people when life trips them up”.
Chris Birt, associate director for Scotland with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “One of the stories of the election was a sense that what was on offer was underwhelming, contributing to a general feeling of political disaffection.
“The campaign was often focused on political posturing rather than on what should be at the core of politics – making people’s lives better.
“As he appoints his cabinet this week, the First Minister must put the eradication of child poverty at the heart of his government.
“This would not only lead to a dramatic improvement in the lives of children across Scotland, but would also be transformational for our economy and public services.
“To achieve that, ministers will need to show urgency and match the public’s thirst for change.
“This is a huge test of the Scottish Government and the new parliament. Can they deliver a genuinely fairer Scotland where every child has the chance to flourish?
“The election campaign is now in the past – it is time for this parliament to consign the hardships that so many children and their families face to the past too.”
If the government does not meet what JRF describe as the public’s “thirst for change” then they say it will fail to meet the legal requirements of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act.
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