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Daily Record
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
John Swinney accused of hitting 'independence panic button' over child poverty
Michael Marra said the SNP leader was "once again shamelessly attempting to shift the blame from his own government's failures". Labour has accused John Swinney of hitting "the independence panic button" after the First Minister claimed only ending the Union would finally eradicate child poverty in Scotland. Michael Marra, the party's finance spokesman, said the SNP leader was "once again shamelessly attempting to shift the blame from his own government's failures". Writing in his regular column for the Record, Swinney said today: "We are seeing progress in Scotland. Child poverty here is falling, it is much lower than south of the border and we are predicted to be the only part of the UK where it will continue to fall. "That is what happens when we take some of the decisions on child poverty in Scotland – and I think it perfectly makes the case for us taking all the decisions here rather than leaving too many in the hands of Westminster governments who choose to make the situation worse. "I am determined that we will end child poverty in Scotland. But to do that we need real change – and the only change that will work for Scotland is independence." It comes after Gordon Brown claimed child poverty in his former Fife constituency is getting "worse everyday" as he urged the UK Government to finally end the two-child cap on benefits. The former prime minister is calling on Rachel Reeves to slap targeted tax hikes on highly profitable parts of the gambling industry - such as online casinos and slot machines - in order to find the money required to scrap the hated two-child cap on benefits. The SNP Government has already announced it will mitigate the impact of the Tory-imposed policy in Scotland, with the first payments to affected families due to be made in March next year. Official figures published in March found relative child poverty in 2023-24 reduced from 26 per cent to 22 per cent in Scotland, while absolute child poverty fell from 23 per cent to 17 per cent. Marra said: "John Swinney is once again shamelessly attempting to shift the blame from his own government's failures by hitting the independence panic button. He is desperate to push a false narrative that only independence can address the issues facing Scots daily, despite having the powers at Holyrood already to do so. "There is no mission more important than tackling child poverty and it is nothing short of a national scandal that no progress has been made. "Fighting structural poverty means addressing the issues that cause and maintain inequality – from workplace practices, to education, to housing – but the SNP are failing on them all. "Only a Scottish Labour government will use all the powers at Scotland's disposal to end poverty and deliver the new direction that we need.'
Daily Record
07-08-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Gordon Brown warns child poverty in Scotland is getting 'worse everyday' as he calls for UK Government action
The former prime minister is demanding Rachel Reeves taxes gambling companies to pay for the scrapping of the two-child cap on benefits. Gordon Brown has warned child poverty in his former Fife constituency is getting "worse everyday" as he urged the UK Government to finally end the two-child cap on benefits. The former prime minister is calling on Rachel Reeves to slap targeted tax hikes on highly profitable parts of the gambling industry - such as online casinos and slot machines - in order to find the money required to scrap the hated two-child cap on benefits. The SNP Government has already announced it will mitigate the impact of the Tory-imposed policy in Scotland, with the first payments to affected families due to be made in March next year. Brown, who served as an MP in West Fife and Kirkcaldy for more than 30 years, said today he does not need to look far to see how the least well-off families are struggling. "I live in the constituency in which I grew up. I still live here. I see everyday this situation getting worse," he told BBC Radio 4. "I did not think I would see the kind of poverty I saw when I was growing up when we had slum housing... this is a return to the kind of poverty of 60 years ago and I think we've got to act now." Brown, who served as Chancellor for more than a decade, added: "We are dealing with a divided Britain. We are dealing with a social crisis. If I tell you that a million children will be trying to sleep tonight without a bed of their own, that two million children are in homes without a cooker or a fridge or a washing machine... something has got to be done. "This problem is getting worse. It's going to worsen over the next few years because there's a built-in escalator in the poverty figures because of the two-child rule. Unless we do something about it we're going to pile up costs for the future." Brown has said scrapping the cap could be paid for by targeted tax hikes on online casinos and slot machines. A Betting and Gaming Council spokesperson claimed such a move would hit ordinary punters and risk pushing people towards the black market. Keir Starmer told MPs in July that he wanted to get child poverty levels down by the end of this Parliament. But the UK Government is not expected to spell out how it plans to deliver on this pledge until the child poverty strategy is published in the autumn. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has backed calls to end the two-child cap. The SNP Government previously announced applications for payments to mitigate the impact of the policy will open on March 2 next year. First Minister John Swinney said earlier this year: "The eradication of child poverty is my government's number one priority, and I want it also to become our nation's number one goal. "The cornerstone of our approach is investment in more dignified and generous social security support. It includes the resources we need to build the systems that will allow us to effectively remove the two child cap for families in Scotland. "I can offer two guarantees today. Firstly, if we are able to safely get the systems up and running in this coming year, the first payments will be made in this coming year – helping to lift thousands more children out of poverty. "And secondly, if the UK government does the right thing and abolishes the two-child cap across the UK, the resources we have committed to this policy will continue to be used on measures to eradicate child poverty in Scotland."
Daily Record
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
John Swinney still has a lot to do in addressing under-performing public services
John Swinney can congratulate himself on steadying the SNP but his record in Government is nothing to crow about. The First Minister, who has been in the top job for a little over a year, still has a lot of work to do on our under-performing public services. In yesterday's Programme for Government Mr Swinney outlined what he hopes to do in the coming 12 months leading up to the next Holyrood election. And he has put the NHS at the heart of his plans. He is right to do so as the Health Service is on its knees. Patients navigating the world of GPs and hospital appointments can expect delays and frustration at every turn. And people are waiting too long for operations - sometimes even cancer treatment. Other public services are also in crisis. The cost of public transport continues to rise, if you live in a part of the country where services are actually semi-reliable. Drivers face bumping along potholed-filled roads while pedestrians trip over cracks in the pavements. The SNP Government can point to years of Tory-imposed austerity at Westminster for making life a lot harder. But there is now an entire generation of young Scots who cannot remember a time when the Nationalists weren't in charge at Holyrood. The party has had more than enough time to implement the kind of large-scale reforms required to improve public services in the long-term. But, as the long abandoned plans to scrap the outdated council tax system proves, the SNP often ducks difficult decisions. Swinney is fortunate in his political opponents - for now, at least - and he remains on course to win next year's Holyrood election. But he needs to know complacency isn't an option for the Scottish Government. A year out from the Holyrood election, it should be rolling up its sleeves, not standing back waiting for polling day. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Trump tariff folly Donald Trump's scattergun approach to running the world's most powerful nation continues to spread chaos. This time he's taken aim at the movies in his apparent efforts to destroy anything good in the world. His threat to place a 100pc tariff on any non-US made films is intended to appeal to his MAGA voters. But this knuckle-headed plan will provide little benefit to the US film industry. It will, however, deliver a death blow to film-makers around the globe - who could struggle to get finance for films if they can't be economically screened in the US. Scots star Brian Cox, never one to mince words, has described the move as an 'absolute disaster'. While film and TV experts say it could deliver a 'knockout blow' to Scotland's growing film industry. But what might swing US voters against the plan is the huge restriction it will place on what they can see. UK-produced hits like Trainspotting, Four Weddings and a Funeral and even Paddington might never had made the silver screen if these tariffs had been in place. Lets hope Trump brings the curtain down soon on this stupid plan.
