Chamber and committees

If the member was listening to my speech, he would know that the main reasons for poverty fall at the feet of the United Kingdom Tory Government, which is why I decided to pick out the Conservatives.

Let us take a step back: the Scottish Government has done and continues to do what it can with the limited powers that it has. Members have already given a rundown of many of the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to eradicate poverty and work towards our poverty targets, but how can we possibly hope to eradicate poverty in this country when we are dependent on the Tories down south and their mad spending decisions? The Tories have been in power for 12 years now, but what has improved? They are destroying the economy with tax cuts for the rich and increased bankers’ bonuses—it is not good enough.

This week, we have seen a U-turn on the top rate of tax, but the damage has already been done, and the markets are already in chaos. Over the past two weeks, Douglas Ross and the Tories have defended that policy, but they now want us to believe that they are reversing it because they care about people. No—they are doing it because they can see the chaos that they have created and could not find a way to defend the policy any more.

As important as this week is, we should not need challenge poverty weeks in Scotland or in the UK. Poverty should be challenged every day of the year, because no child in this country should be going to bed hungry or cold.

A few months back, I visited a toy bank in Renfrewshire. Energy prices were rising, but it was still early days. I was looking around at the toys that were sitting there ready to get packed up for birthdays or waiting on Christmas day and thinking of the joy that would spread across the kids’ faces when they got them, but that thought was coupled with a wave of sadness that it would be under such circumstances. It should not be a case of prioritising gas over a child’s toy this Christmas, but that is the hard reality for many families.

People must be sick of working to be in debt; for so many people right now, being in employment is not benefiting them. People are only just surviving and every day is a struggle to figure out what to prioritise.

I want to live in a country where everyone thrives and people get to enjoy life and be happy, as opposed to scraping by and waiting for the trickle down that never comes. I want to live in a country where children have opportunities, where young people are positive about the future, where parents can have a proper work-life balance and get to spend time enjoying life with their kids, and where people are not thinking at every turn about how they are going to get through the next day.

We can have a better future as an independent country. I have previously highlighted in Parliament how, as a Scottish Government, we can use all the levers at our disposal to eradicate poverty in this country. We do tremendous work here to help those who need it the most, but, while powers remain reserved to Westminster, I fear that we will never see poverty in Scotland come to an end.

Just to finish, we often use the phrase “heating or eating” as though it is a nifty wee rhyme, a soundbite or a punchline from the establishment, but it is not just a saying—it is the reality for many people. In 2022, people are having to choose between having a warm meal and having a warm house—that is disgusting. I fear that it is only going to get worse if the unionist parties continue to play at trickle-down economics, which does nothing to improve the lives of my constituents and harms those across Scotland who are living in poverty.

Good morning, Deputy First Minister. You mentioned the joint letter from you and the other devolved Governments to the chancellor. In that letter, you talk about the need for the UK Government to provide more targeted action. Given that the UK Government holds the key fiscal levers, in addition to key powers over energy and around 85 per cent of welfare powers, will you outline what action it needs to take now to help people?

Thanks very much. That does not make for easy listening. Somehow, you managed to answer all three of my questions in your first response. I will give Danny Boyle the opportunity to come in on one of my later questions.

Graham O’Neill mentioned the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to increase support. We have spoken about the pressures that face the Scottish Government, which is working with a fixed budget and limited fiscal powers. It is clear that there is a difficult situation, with any funding to one budget having to be taken from another budget. With that in mind, what would be your priorities for increased support?

Good morning, and thanks for joining us. I will start off with a fairly general question to open up the discussion. How is the rising cost of living impacting on your organisations and the individuals whom you support? I will go to Gordon MacRae first, then to Frank McKillop.

I thank the witnesses for their written submissions. I will start with a fairly general question to open up the discussion. How is the rising cost of living impacting your organisations and the individuals you support? I put that question first to Danny Boyle.

I turn to Frank McKillop with the same question.

Thank you very much, Gordon. Thank you, both.

We have talked about reductions in spending but, as you said, the Scottish Government has highlighted its increase to, and extension of, the Scottish child payment as a key measure that it is taking to help families and to tackle child poverty. Is not it the case that, without full powers, the actions that the Scottish Government takes will continue to be undermined by the UK Government’s inaction or policies that actively undermine the Scottish Government’s efforts to tackle child poverty?

Absolutely. I have taken up quite a lot of time, so I am happy to hand back to the convener.

Thank you both very much for your responses. The Scottish Government has set out steps that it is taking to support people through the crisis, but we have been speaking about the extreme pressures that the Government faces because it is working with a fixed budget and with limited fiscal powers, and any increase in one budget has to be funded from another. Given the constraints, are you supportive of the steps that the Scottish Government has taken so far? What would your priorities be, going forward?