Press release: Tories fail the test on tackling child poverty
Scotland's future must be in Scotland's hands - not Boris Johnson's
The SNP has said the Tories have "shamefully failed" to tackle child poverty and deliver the fundamental change needed to build a fairer society post-covid - as new analysis reveals the UK Budget risks pulling even more people into poverty.
Analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, published this morning, shows the Chancellor failed to meet five key tests on tackling poverty and could pull 500,000 people, including 200,000 children, into poverty by winter by cutting Universal Credit in October.
Ahead of the Budget, the SNP wrote to the Chancellor calling for a financial package to tackle the Tory child poverty crisis, which has pushed 4.2million children into poverty, including 1.3million babies and children under five.
Commenting, SNP Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary David Linden MP said:
"The Chancellor has shamefully failed the test on tackling the growing Tory child poverty crisis.
"The UK Budget should have delivered major investment and fundamental changes to build a fairer society post-covid - but instead Tory cuts will push even more people into poverty.
"After a decade of Tory austerity, millions of UK families are living on the breadline and struggling to pay essential bills. While the SNP is putting money into people's pockets with progressive policies like the Scottish Child Payment, the Tories are taking it away again with cuts to Universal Credit, the two-child cap, a public sector pay freeze, and tax rises for millions of workers.
"Scotland faces a choice of two futures - the long-term damage of Tory cuts and Brexit under the broken Westminster system, or the opportunity to secure our place in Europe and a strong, fair and green recovery as an independent country.
"The question at the election in May will be this: who has the right to decide what sort of country Scotland should be after the pandemic - people in Scotland or Boris Johnson? Who do we trust most to deliver a fair recovery - ourselves or Westminster?
"With both votes SNP we can deliver a strong, fair and green recovery and put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands - not Boris Johnson’s."
🏴 #Budget2021 makes clear that Scotland faces a choice of two futures; the long-term damage of Brexit and Tory austerity cuts at Westminster, or the opportunity to protect our place in Europe and build a strong, fair and green recovery as an independent country.#BothVotesSNP pic.twitter.com/TZNV7M69Kb
— David Linden MP (@DavidLinden) March 3, 2021
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