Child poverty

Sir,

Ah, I see the phantom SNP PR man has risen again to test us all with the absurdity of his assertion. This time he tells us that only by voting SNP for a UK Parliament, will we eradicate poverty. It grieves me that poverty should enter the party political domain. I have always believed that its eradication is something that should unite all political persuasions.

But it does not, and I append a few observations for the benefit of Cllr Gordon Murray.

The last Labour government reduced child poverty by half; 1.1 million children were removed from poverty. The introduction of tax credits(child and working) took more families out of poverty than any measure introduced before. Simple facts and true, but what a life changing experience for those families and children.

The SNP has been in government for eight years but only now is it introducing a "long- term strategy " on child poverty. Over the eight years child poverty and fuel poverty have risen in Scotland to levels never before seen. 220,000 Scottish children live in poverty and the IFS expect that figure to rise to 320,000 by 2020. What an indictment on SNP policy for children.

To give the SNP their due, they introduced a laudable policy to eradicate fuel poverty by 2015; that policy is now abandoned following its abject failure - no support and too few resources.

Only now is the SNP throwing resources at fuel poverty - £224 million over the next seven years. Sound good? £32 million per year. Chickenfeed! To place that in some perspective, the Western Isles needs to spend £50 million to deal with the 8,000 houses needing insulation treatment. The last tranche of money c£270,000 given to the Comhairle will allow 21 interventions! Not even 21 houses.

I think the message is clear, the SNP does not prioritise the eradication of child poverty and fuel poverty. Nationalism, as Ed Miliband said "never created a welfare state that healed the sick and protected the most vulnerable."

Now permit me to close the parenthesis; for me, eradicating poverty is beyond party politics. Until all children are looked after from birth and given an equal chance in life of doing well, I will not be content.

Until then a Labour government will always have as a key priority the eradication of poverty. The SNP has as its raison d'être the dismemberment of the UK. I will be voting Labour and for Alasdair Morrison for the future of the UK and Scotland's children and those of the Western Isles.

Angus McCormack

25 North Street
Sandwick
Isle of Lewis

Letter: “SNP failing on child poverty”

2 May 2015