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The National
01-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Labour MP backs calls for Wales to copy Scottish Child Payment
Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr MP Steve Witherden praised research by the Bevan Foundation which found that creating a 'Welsh Child Payment', based on the Scottish benefit, would be the 'most powerful and effective' way of cutting child poverty. The backbencher said that the evidence for 'putting money into people's pockets' as a way to tackle poverty was 'overwhelming'. Asked whether he believed that the Welsh Government should have the ability to set its own welfare policies, Witherden he was 'supportive of devo max', adding: 'I think it's about having the autonomy to choose, isn't it? If you have devo max, you do have more power to decide.' He added: 'I don't think anyone in Scotland would claim that it was some kind of utopia in this regard, child poverty exists there as it does everywhere in the UK, sadly. 'At the moment the Scottish percentages do look more favourable than the England and Wales combined percentages on child poverty.' (Image: PA Wires) Witherden highlighted research which looked at the potential impact of Wales copying the Scottish Child Payment, saying: 'There's lots of evidence for this – putting money in people's pockets, for lack of a more technical term – how helpful it is. 'There's sound research on this outside of the UK, USAID, UK development aid, it's found that when you can directly get the cash to people on the ground, it does alleviate poverty, it does make a difference. 'There's sound research backing that up, I know it has its critics, I'm not one of them, I follow the evidence and the evidence is quite overwhelming.' READ MORE: Welfare reforms could push 150,000 into poverty, official DWP modelling suggests The MP, first elected to Parliament last year, also called on the UK Government to publish an interim update on the work of its child poverty taskforce. He said: 'I'd like to hear some feedback on the findings thus far.' The taskforce was supposed to publish its findings this spring but the Government has delayed this, confirming in May that it was committed to publishing 'later this year'. It would look at a range of measures to bring down child poverty, including scrapping the two-child cap. (Image: Canva) The Scottish Child Payment was announced by the SNP in 2019 and the first payments were made two years later. It is paid to families who are in receipt of Universal Credit or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. Parents get £27.15 per week for each child they have under the age of 16. The Scottish Child Payment has been described as a 'game changer' by the Child Poverty Action Group. Official statistics have found that there were projected to be 90,000 fewer Scottish children expected to live in poverty by 2024 because of the policy and other measures. The Bevan Foundation's report from June this year said: 'Among all the interventions modelled, the introduction of a Welsh Child Payment emerges as the most powerful and effective. 'Based on the Scottish Child Payment, this intervention would provide support for each child in low-income families, with no deductions from existing benefits. It reaches nearly one-third of households that are in poverty within the data and reduces child poverty across the sample by almost 23%.' The Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru have also backed calls for a Welsh Child Payment, saying it had 'proved transformational in Scotland'. The UK and Welsh governments were approached for comment.
The National
24-04-2025
- Business
- The National
John Swinney to headline Glasgow event on European climate
John Swinney will deliver the keynote speech next Friday at The Social Hub event, touted by organisers as the most significant climate event in the city since Cop26. The Better Society Academy will take place at the city centre venue from April 29 until May 2, bringing together business leaders, activists and experts. It follows on from events in Amsterdam and Vienna. READ MORE: John Swinney accuses Scottish Tories of trans rights U-turn as old comments resurface The three-and-a-half-day event is run by the TSH Talent Foundation, a non-profit established by The Social Hub, a hybrid hospitality firm founded by Edinburgh-born entrepreneur Charlie MacGregor. The First Minister said: 'I can think of no better setting than the city that hosted Cop26 just a few years ago, to bring together forward-thinking young leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers – all working collectively to tackle one of the most urgent challenges of our time: the twin climate and nature crisis. 'This event is an example of the positive impact B-Corp organisations in Scotland like The Social Hub can bring to cities like Glasgow. (Image: PA Wires) 'The Better Society Academy is committed to inclusive, action-driven learning, and reminds us of what's possible when we bring like-minded people together to build a better future. 'This attitude closely aligns with my ambition to build a better Scotland for generations to come, which is translated into the four core priorities I have set for my Government: eradicating child poverty; stimulating Scotland's economy; ensuring high-quality, sustainable public services; and tackling the climate emergency. 'Tackling the climate and nature emergency is intrinsically linked to the success of our nation. It is not just about numbers and carbon targets – it is about improving lives, restoring nature, and securing Scotland's future prosperity.' The event will come just a week after the Scottish Government dropped a key climate change target to cut car use in Scotland by 20% by the end of the decade. And that follows on from last year's decision to abandon Scotland's legally binding target to reduce emissions by 75% by 2030. The 2025 Glasgow programme, Changemakers Leading the Way to Net Zero: Inspiring Stories of Collaboration and Impact, will feature figures in sustainability, business, design, and activism. Among the speakers are Anna Campbell-Jones, designer and presenter of the BBC's Scotland's Home Of The Year programme; Clover Hogan, climate activist and founder of Force of Nature; Alison McRae, senior director at the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce; and economist Mattia Romani. Frank Uffen, chairman of the TSH Talent Foundation and adviser to The Social Hub's board, said: 'The First Minister's attendance at this event shows how important these issues are to Scotland and all nations and the potential for changemakers in all industries to make a difference. READ MORE: Piers Morgan stunned following American journalist's Gaza genocide response 'This event will equip emerging changemakers with the networks, insight and tools to drive real transformation in their communities. 'We're proud to be hosting them here in Glasgow – a city with a deep legacy of innovation and global outlook.'
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scottish Palestinian says aid block in Gaza aims to 'bring people to their knees'
A SCOTTISH Palestinian has said Israel's blockade stopping humanitarian aid from entering Gaza does not just affect Hamas but aims to bring its people 'to their knees'. Wael Shawish, 65, who was born in east Jerusalem and is now based in Glasgow in Scotland, said the latest move from Israel is not surprising to Palestinians. Israel has stopped the entry of all goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip and has warned of 'additional consequences' if Hamas does not accept a new proposal for a ceasefire extension. A Hamas spokesperson said blocking supplies to Gaza was 'cheap extortion, a war crime and a blatant attack on the (ceasefire) agreement'. READ MORE: Shawish, a retired business analyst, said starving Palestinians is the 'last part of the equation' for Israel. 'Nothing is surprising us. As far as what Israel does, they are trying very hard to bring everybody to their knees,' Shawish told the PA news agency. 'I don't mean just the fighters and Hamas. I think even the people who have lost their homes, lost their businesses, lost their livelihood, their schools, universities, hospitals, they must now bring the people to their knees. 'Starving them is the last part of the equation.' The first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which included a surge in humanitarian assistance, expired on Saturday. The two sides have yet to negotiate the second phase, in which Hamas is expected to release dozens of remaining hostages in return for a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Israel has said it supports a proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire through Ramadan, the Muslim holy month which began during the weekend, and the Jewish Passover holiday which ends on April 20. It said the proposal came from the Trump administration's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. Shawish said that despite this most recent challenge the people of Palestine will prevail. 'That's what the West and the Israelis can't understand is that the resistance is there, the will to stay is there,' he said. Shawish (below), who came to study in the UK aged 20, was unable to return to his home in east Jerusalem when he finished his studies. (Image: PA Wires) He has now spent the last 45 years living 'in exile' in the UK. 'They didn't push me on a boat. They didn't push me on a truck or a bus or I wasn't made to walk over the border. They just closed the door behind me,' he said. 'There are hundreds of thousands of people like me.' Shawish, who is a member of the Scottish Palestinian Society, said that he has found community and support from other Palestinians in Glasgow. 'Everybody is so traumatised. I feel like I'm in a long field of wounded people trying to fix who I can fix. That's how it feels being in Glasgow,' he said. 'Most people that I know have lost family or friends or it's difficult to even console them. 'Someone has lost every member of her family. She is now a sole member in this world.' Hamas's October 7 2023 attack killed around 1200 people while another 251 were taken hostage. Since then, Israel's military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.
