Campaigners unite to fight Tory austerity
A FAIR DEAL FOR THE PEOPLE
by andy philip A MAJOR campaign aims to turn back the “rising tide of poverty” faced by Scots.
The week-long drive brings together the NHS, support groups and community leaders sick of the impact of Tory austerity across the country.
Scotland’s politicians will also be put on the spot as part of efforts to improve policies and get a fair deal for ordinary families.
Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “In our society we believe in doing the right thing. And yet, we’re letting increasing numbers of people get swept up in the rising tide of poverty.
“All across Scotland, people from all walks of life are coming together to highlight the problem and show what they are doing to help overcome the barriers that lock so many of us in poverty.
“Poverty restricts people’s ability to take part in society but by boosting people’s incomes and reducing the cost of living, we can
redesign our economy to better reflect the values of compassion and justice we all share.”
The focus follows a series of alarming reports on in-work poverty, austerity and public health.
Earlier this week, lifestyle and poverty were blamed for the first fall in life expectancy in Scotland for 35 years.
The Scottish Government revealed one in 10 people in the poorest areas ran out of food in the last year because of a lack of money.
An estimated 220,000 children in Scotland are in households unlikely to be able to afford a healthy diet, according to a report by a think-tank this month.
And the poverty rate among pensioners in Scotland is higher than the UK average, a study revealed two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the impact of Tory
Government policies on welfare have been blamed for a spike in debt and rent arrears.
Among the 100 campaign events will be a hard-hitting report on the extent of poverty in Scotland.
Written by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the findings will be published on Tuesday.
An annual “challenge poverty” lecture will be held in Glasgow on Monday.