According to the First Minister, Alex Salmond MSP, the New Year will see the SNP Government publish its first anti-poverty strategy . But after seven months in office what do we know so far about the SNP’s intentions? The First Minister regularly points to nations in the so called ‘Arc of Prosperity’ as the benchmark against which Scotland should compare itself.

 

But with this ‘arc’ including countries with amongst Europe’s lowest rates of child poverty (Sweden and Denmark) along with one of its highest rates (Ireland) to what extent can we expect to see an SNP government prioritising action to end poverty? The SNP entered government following eight years of Labour/Liberal Democrat partnership government at Holyrood, and ten years of Labour government at Westminter, during which time real progress had been made in tackling poverty in Scotland. After dramatic increases in poverty between 1979 and the mid 1990’s unprecedented government commitments to eradicate child poverty by 2020, and policy action from both Westminster and Holyrood, had an impact in reducing the numbers of people living in poverty, particularly among children and pensioners . Clearly, renewed political vigour, increased resources and new policies would be needed for future progress.

 

Along with other anti-poverty campaigners CPAG has long argued that for further progress government policy needed to focus more on tackling the low pay, insecurity, discrimination and family unfriendly practice that too often make work an ineffective route out of poverty. At the same time the focus on work needs to be better balanced with increases at UK level in the benefit and tax credit package for those who are not in a position to undertake paid work and investment by Scottish Government in independent advice and information to ensure that families, in and out of work, receive the benefit, tax credit and other financial supports to which they are entitled.

 

Furthermore, policy to date at both Westminster and Holyrood has focused on targeting resources, but future progress will demand a better balance between the need to target and the need to ensure support reaches all families that need it, for example balancing investment in tax credits with investment in child benefit, working toward a universal approach to providing child care free at the point of delivery, and building on improvements in the nutritional quality of school meals with a shift toward universal free provision. Work still needs done to clarify exactly how government will deliver.

  {mxc}