Latest news with #ChildPoverty
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
JIM SILLARS: SNP settled for mediocrity and paid the price with this result
The by-election: two winners, one major casualty and a lot of questions answered. Against a background of anger in a 'Broken Britain' alongside 18 years of a SNP government (the last ten seeing ferry fiascos, a failing NHS, declarations of a housing emergency without emergency action, falling school standards and more time spent politically on trans identity and dodging the definition of a woman than on child poverty) the electorate in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse gave their verdict. There is a sea change taking place in UK and Scottish life. People have had enough of the virtue signallers; they are fed up with lectures about what they can and cannot say; they have come to despise spin as a substitute for action; they are no longer afraid of being labelled bigots and racists for strongly opposing illegal immigration. Reform has caught that tide, and their Hamilton by-election and local equivalents is the result. Reform, which came within 869 votes of the SNP, accomplished its two objectives: find out if it could pass the acid test of significant support via the ballot box in Scotland, and if so, become a serious participant in the Scottish political scene. It enters the fray for the 2026 Scottish general election in the happy position of having a base, no government record to be attacked on, and opposition parties not understanding that it has risen because of their failures allied to their woke agenda and still clueless on how to combat it. If the parties Reform now threatens do not grasp their contribution to its advance, and stay with their by-election tactic of denouncing it as 'racist' and 'poisonous,' they will make the same mistake as the Democrats in the USA who, in demonising Trump, failed to realise that they had substituted lecturing to the people instead of listening to them. Perhaps even the Greens will look at their derisory 695 votes at Hamilton and reflect on the role they have played in the lecturing game at Holyrood. The big winner was, of course, Labour, who took the seat. The announcement of the result must have been sweet music to the ears of Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie, given all the pundits fell for the John Swinney claim that they were being outclassed and heading for a poor third place. Being umbilically attached to the unpopular UK Labour government was thought to be their fatal weak point. That proved not so. Even with a candidate who, as his reading of his victory speech showed, is not exactly inspirational, they took a safe SNP seat. What makes Labour's win important is that Hamilton is smack in the middle of the central belt, where lies the seat of Scottish political power, and where the SNP-Labour contest will be settled. A repeat of Hamilton in 2026 and Labour will be, at least, a minority government or the majority in a coalition. But for the SNP this was a very bad result. John Swinney, whose manifest failure to read the street shows a man with a tin ear and poor judgement, unfit for the leadership role the misguided SNP membership put him in. Their 7,957 votes at 29.4 per cent share of the vote was down by 16.8 per cent and much lower than the 33 per cent they have been getting in opinion polls. The old adage you reap what you sow remains true. The Sturgeon legacy of elevating mediocrity above talent turned the SNP government into a calamity for Scotland. On every issue that matters to the people, tax, jobs, education, housing, health, roads not built, and chid poverty they are failures. They got the defeat they deserved. Under the dead hand of Swinney there is more of that to come.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Free school meals for more children in England is a positive thing, but there's a catch
Good news. Free school meals for all children in England on universal credit is rightly being celebrated by schools, nurseries, further education colleges and children's charities. There may only be 500,000 extra recipients estimated by the government now, but in the long run 1.7 million children will be eligible, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies. 'Fantastic news,' says the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), as 100,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by this annual £500 put back in parents' pockets. Food matters. Hungry children can't learn, and many miss school to avoid the public embarrassment of no dinner money and no packed lunch, according to CPAG's Priced Out of School report. Strong evidence shows a rise in attainment and attendance if you feed children. The Feed the Future campaign finds not just academic achievement but health, happiness, reduced obesity and lifetime earnings improve if children don't go hungry. Surely that can't surprise anyone. The universal breakfast clubs being rolled out now represent real progress. Strict rules stopping schools from demanding absurdly expensive uniforms, sometimes a not-so-subtle way to exclude poorer families, is another part of a developing anti-poverty strategy. But it's complicated. Nothing in poverty numbers is easy. So while celebrating more meals for more children, we should question the total number of children lifted out of poverty. The government says it's 100,000 and the IFS agrees. But look what happens when you factor in the dire effect of the upcoming £5bn disability and Pip cuts. Turn to the government's own paper on the impact. Look at Annex B: 'It is estimated that there will be an additional 250,000 people (including 50,000 children) in relative poverty after housing costs in financial year ending 2030 as a result of the modelled changes to social security.' As those receiving support from sources such as Pip lose their benefit, the family gets poorer. Some may find this offset by the addition of free school meals, but not all will qualify, and many families will still find themselves worse off once what they gain from having free school meals is set against benefit losses. The vote on disability benefit cuts is coming up shortly, with up to 170 Labour MPs reportedly ready to rebel. As the Department for Work and Pensions scurries to amend the proposal in time for the vote, it needs to take into account the danger of sending more children below the poverty threshold. Of the many severe critiques of the government's Pathways to Work plan for these disability cuts, one of the most authoritative is the Citizens Advice response, Pathways to Poverty. It opens: 'By refusing to properly consult on its plan to cut billions from disability benefits, the government is choosing not to ask questions it doesn't want the answers to. The cuts will have a devastating impact on disabled people (and their children), sending hundreds of thousands into poverty, and many more into deeper poverty. This will result from a series of arbitrary reforms that have been designed around savings targets rather than improving outcomes, inflicting hardship on people in ways that the government doesn't yet fully understand.' Few would doubt the need for the government to take action on the growing numbers of working-age people off sick with mental and physical ailments. Good plans to provide work coaches to help, not bully, them back into working life with an array of supports are unfolding. But the dash for cash suddenly and unexpectedly imposed on the DWP at the last moment when the Office for Budget Responsibility found a gap in Reeves's proposed £5bn in savings has thrust more brutal cuts forward, regardless of circumstance. In 1997, New Labour's New Deal to help people into work was a great success: money saved came from finding people jobs, not cutting their benefits in advance, something that was likely to reduce their work capability. The welcome new free school meals policy shines a light on the depths of poverty. How could the appallingly low family income of £7,400 have been the qualifier until now? In Northern Ireland the benchmark is twice as high. Wales and London have universal free meals for primary children; in Scotland, all pupils are eligible for the first five years of primary school. Labour inherited a tax and benefits system that had, since 2010, cut entitlements among families with children by £2,200 a year on average, with those out-of-work losing £5,500 a year, reports the IFS. Reversing that is an uphill task. Many children now getting free meals won't be lifted out of poverty: it would take a lot more than £500 a year. Lifting the two-child cap would cost less than meals, in terms of freeing children from poverty. That estimated £3.5bn to abolish it will have to be found by Liz Kendall and Bridget Phillipson's child poverty taskforce, which will report at budget time in the autumn. There just is no way round it for a government that pledged to take more children out of poverty. Note that they call this free school meals announcement just a 'down payment'. The best had better be yet to come. A final thought: for all the panic about disability claims, total working-age benefits as a proportion of government spending have not risen in the past 20 years. What has happened is cuts for children have been offset by increases for triple-locked pensioners. Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scottish Government news, interviews and updates
The Scottish Government is a devolved government. It oversees important day-to-day matters such as health, justice, and education for the people of Scotland. The current First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) is John Swinney. Read on for all the latest Scottish Government news, interviews and updates. As reported by The Herald, here is a selection of the latest Scottish Government news stories. Secure accommodation units at risk amid capacity concern Sarwar and Swinney accused of 'inaction on child poverty' Council workers warn of 'avoidable' strikes in pay talk row Scotland has two governments: The UK and The Scottish Government. The UK government retains control over 'reserved' matters, and The Scottish Government handles 'devolved' responsibilities. The people of Scotland voted for Devolution in 1997. The UK Parliament then passed the Scotland Act 1998 which established the Scottish Parliament. Holyrood officially opened in 1999. (Image: Jeff J Mitchell) The Scottish Government is responsible for managing its own expenditure and is accountable to the Scottish Parliament. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries Education and training Environment Health, care and social services Housing and land use planning Law and order Local government Sports, arts and tourism Parts of social security Some forms of taxation Many aspects of transport Domestic students in Scotland do not pay tuition fees, while students coming from the rest of the UK are charged a fee. Universities receive funding from the Scottish Government for each student, with the amounts varying according to the nature of each individual's studies. In Scotland, students apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), which covers their tuition fee, whether they study in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK. Prescriptions are free in Scotland. Wales led the way in eliminating prescription fees in 2007, paving the way for Northern Ireland's 2010 decision. File photo of a prescription being collected from the Craigton Pharmacy in Glasgow (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) The Scottish Government abolished charges in April 2011. The Winter Fuel Payment benefit was previously available to almost everyone in the UK who was of state pension age to help cover their heating costs. It is now limited to those on Pension Credit or means-tested benefits who will get the Winter Fuel Payment - £200 or £300 for people aged over 80. A recent petition started by pensioner Carole Webb has called on the government to rethink changes to the payments and has been signed by more than 150,000 people. Scotland's justice system operates largely independently with its own courts, police, and legal profession. The criminal justice system of Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Parliament. While some legislative powers remain with the UK Government, for example, criminal law relating to firearms, and drug policy reform, Scotland's justice system is largely devolved with its own courts, tribunals, judiciary, prosecution service, police service, prisons, fire and rescue service, and other justice agencies, as well as its own legal profession. Scotland's ferry system is controlled by the Scottish Government to maintain and develop its services. This is done through a multi-layered group involving an agency and three state-controlled companies. Ferguson Marine was taken into public ownership by the Scottish Government in 2019 (Image: George Munro)Transport Scotland is the Scottish Government agency that oversees ferry policy, funding, and contracts. Since 2007, the government has invested more than £2.2 billion in the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service and the Northern Isles Ferry Service. This includes new routes, new vessels, upgraded harbour infrastructure, as well as the roll out of significantly reduced fares through the Road Equivalent Tariff scheme. And from June 23, people aged 19 to 21 who live on Scottish islands are eligible for concessionary ferry vouchers for travel between their home island and the Scottish mainland. Yes, the government calls for an election once every four to five years. The next election is expected to be held next May.
RNZ News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Budget 2025: The teenagers feeling ignored by government's decisions
Rangatahi from Save the Children and Kelson Boys' High School at the Child Poverty Action Group Budget analysis. Photo: Supplied "Do not just invest in stats and numbers, invest in us." That is the message from a group of teenagers grappling with some of the decisions made by the government in this year's Budget. They came together along with child advocates, researchers and rangatahi to unpack the budget. with KiwiSaver, pay equity, employment and climate change all top of the discussion. Save the Children Generation Hope Youth ambassadors opened the post-Budget chat hosted by the Child Poverty Action Group in Tāmaki Makaurau with these words. "A budget is numbers, but numbers don't heal people, a budget is a promise but promises break without action, a budget is pointless without a plan. "We've heard the speeches we've seen the headlines roll in; the words roll in like tides the tides that never quite reach the shore." One of the youth ambassadors is 17-year-old Sonya. She was concerned about what she feels are important parts of daily life that were missing from the budget. "There was a lot about infrastructure and funding for big things, but not really the things that matter or the things that impact people on their daily lives. "Kids that go to school, what are we going to do about buses? What are we going to do about traffic? What are we going to do about families and school lunches?" One of the big changes affecting rangatahi is the tightening of the job seeker and emergency benefits. 18 and 19-year-olds on those will now have them means tested against their parents' incomes. Year 12 students at Kelston Boys' High School Uelese and Nikolao are concerned about this. "Do they know, especially in Polynesian households like our parents, have their own struggles, relying on them for the funding will put more stress and you know, more troubles on our parents," said Uelese. "Yeah, I think it all goes back to the purpose of the government itself to provide positive outcomes for the general public, whether or not you have stable parents, I feel like everybody deserves what they're promised," Nikolao said. The issue was of particular relevance for Uelese - whose mother has been impacted by the pay equity reform. Year 12 Kelston Boys' High School student Uelese speaks at the event. Photo: Supplied While its overhaul will save the government $2.7 billion a year. The changes mean workers now face a higher threshold to prove they are underpaid due to sex discrimination. Uelese is worried about how it will affect his mum and dedicated his opening speech to her. "If my mom can't get ahead, how am I supposed to? "This year's budget was meant to be about growth, but for so many families, especially those led by women, it feels more like being told to grow something from dry soil. "You can't cut down the people who carry the load and expect the next generation to rise. "This budget forgets the people who hold our communities and our children together, women, especially mothers." Then there is KiwiSaver. From July, 16 and 17-year-olds are eligible to get the government contribution and requirements for employers to match their deposits will kick in next year. But the minimum contribution will go up from three percent of wages to four percent over the next three years. The amount the government is contributing is being halved to a maximum of $261 a year. The government said the increase in the default amount could leave KiwiSaver members with more than $100,000 in retirement. But the Labour Party claims not everybody will benefit, especially younger people. It claims the changes could mean an 18-year-old ends up with $66,000 less for their retirement. Uelese and Nikolao are disappointed with the change. "You know, finance is everything it would be good to, like, have that support that they've sort of halved. "I mean, it's still there, but is half really enough to start something in, in this ever growing society," said Uelese. The students also said there is one big thing missing in the budget, addressing climate change. Instead, the government has set aside $200 million to invest in fossil fuel development at gas fields, reduce climate finance to the pacific and clawed back funds for government agencies working on ways to save energy. Uelese said it was worrying. "We're really educated on climate change and we know that it's like one of the biggest issues, if not the biggest issue that we're facing right now. "We actually need to get our butts up and start moving." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Labour to review giving more pensioners winter fuel payments
Keir Starmer has announced a partial U-turn that would make more pensioners eligible for winter fuel payments, as government figures opened the door for more tweaks to controversial policies. After a major backlash against one of the most unpopular measures announced by the Labour government, the prime minister indicated he would look again at the £11,500 threshold over which pensioners are no longer eligible for the allowance. Downing Street said the change was a result of an improved economic landscape, with sources saying ministers could revisit policies including the two-child benefit cap or health and disability cuts if the economy continued to improve. 'We're open to adapting policy as the circumstances allow. So when there's an opportunity to make people better off, which is our central purpose, then we're going to take it,' a government source said. However, No 10 was unable to confirm whether the winter fuel U-turn would come into effect by this winter if announced in the autumn budget – or how many of the approximately 10 million pensioners who lost it would have it restored. The reversal comes despite Downing Street ruling out making changes to winter fuel payments after the Guardian revealed that it was rethinking the cut amid anxiety at the top of government that the policy could wreak serious electoral damage. Senior Labour figures are hoping the partial U-turn on winter fuel, along with measures to curb child poverty to be announced at the spending review, will help to head off a growing backbench rebellion over the government's £5bn welfare cuts next month. Ministers are planning to announce a package of up to £750m to tackle child poverty at the spending review in June, the Guardian understands, although the final figure is yet to be agreed. This is expected to focus on measures to tackle the root causes of poverty such as work, housing and education. It could include expanding free breakfast clubs, broadening eligibility for free school meals, or raising the amount paid to families in child benefit. Starmer has insisted to his team that the option of tweaking the two-child limit for universal credit, or even scrapping it entirely, should remain on the table, But any decision on this is likely to be taken 'down the line', a government figure said. 'The prime minister and chancellor are resolute in their determination to tackle child poverty and the spending review next month will be about making a downpayment on that promise,' a No 10 source said. 'This isn't about fiddling around the edges but radical reform and investment in the places that can make a difference to a child's life chances.' The decision to means test the previously universal winter fuel payment was one of the first announcements by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, after Labour's landslide election victory last year and has been widely blamed for the party's collapse in public support. Party activists said the decision to axe £1.5bn in winter fuel payments last July, limiting them to either £200 or £300 a year to pensioners in England and Wales who receive means-tested pensions credit, came up repeatedly on the doorstep during this month's local elections. 'I recognise that people are still feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis, including pensioners, as the economy improves,' Starmer told MPs at prime minister's questions on Wednesday. 'We want to make sure people feel those improvements as their lives go forward. That is why we want to ensure that as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payments.' The government has insisted the policy was necessary to help stabilise the public finances, allowing the improvements in the economic picture that Starmer said could result in the partial reversal of the measure. 'As the economy improves, we want to take measures that will impact on people's lives, and therefore we will look at the threshold, but that will have to be part of the fiscal event,' he added. Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, said: 'The world's longest U-turn continues. The prime minister has announced the 'concepts of a plan' that have come far too late for the millions of pensioners forced to freeze in their own homes over the winter. 'The least those people deserve is an apology for this punitive policy and a serious proposal from the prime minister on how he will begin to pick up the pieces from his government's disastrous decision. Not vague words that will take months to materialise into something meaningful.' Numerous ministers and Labour MPs have described the winter fuel decision as a disaster that has created huge ill-feeling among voters, prompting the re-examination of the policy. However, finding a mechanism to widen eligibility for the payment will cause headaches in Whitehall after the decision to link it to the pension credit threshold. Officials fear that simply increasing the pension credit threshold would increase take-up of that benefit, wiping out any potential savings. Officials said work was starting immediately on how to introduce changes at the autumn budget, as they ruled out a full reversal. A more likely option would be creating a new threshold specifically for winter fuel that would allow households not on pension credit to qualify. Raising it 20% above the pension credit threshold would cost about £100m and make about 400,000 more families eligible for winter fuel payments, according to the Resolution Foundation. Or the entitlement could be expanded to those who get disability or housing benefits. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said she would like to see pensioners on £11,000 to £15,000 a year getting winter fuel payments but that it would be 'too late' if ministers wait until the autumn budget to set out the details as they would lose this year's entitlement. Meanwhile, Liz Kendall, the welfare secretary, insisted she will press ahead with measures to cut the benefits bill despite pressure from MPs, adding that she would listen to concerns but that the system needs to change.
