Thousands of individuals participated in a march through central Edinburgh, urging greater governmental efforts to address poverty in Scotland. This event, known as the Scotland Demands Better demonstration, was organized by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and The Poverty Alliance. It aimed to highlight the need for increased action on poverty issues just ahead of the UK Budget and the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections.
Demonstrators called for enhanced access to services such as free childcare and the removal of the two-child benefit cap. Recent findings from The Poverty Alliance indicated that one in four children in Scotland is currently living in poverty, raising questions about the effectiveness of existing policies.
Participants in the march included trade union members, faith-based organizations, and various community groups. The procession concluded with a rally at the Meadows, where attendees voiced their demands for improved jobs, social security, and investment in essential services like housing, transport, healthcare, and education.
Peter Kelly, the chief executive of The Poverty Alliance, conveyed that the march was a response to the hardships faced by many in Scotland. He highlighted issues such as food insecurity and the anxiety surrounding rising heating costs. Similarly, STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer stated that the community is seeking concrete actions to combat poverty, expressing frustration with the perceived lack of substantial change during election cycles.
The ongoing challenge of child poverty is underscored by the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017, which set targets to reduce child poverty rates to 18% by 2024/25 and 10% by 2030/31. However, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation recently warned that these goals are likely to be significantly missed, with child poverty remaining a pressing issue.
First Minister John Swinney acknowledged the concerns raised by protestors, affirming that the prevalence of poverty in Scotland is unacceptable. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the UK government reiterated their commitment to reducing poverty through various measures, with plans for a new child poverty strategy to be published later this year.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gj309z7djo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss