A nation of deprivation
places and we accept that people in these areas may not think their area is deprived.”
Peter Kelly, director of campaign group The Poverty Alliance, said: “The changing economy in places like Glasgow has meant that many people have found it difficult to break free of poverty and deprivation.
“It needs to change again to ensure that people still aren’t locked into poverty in the next 40 years.”
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard added: “Poverty has blighted Scotland for far too long. It doesn’t just impact on those families who are suffering, it damages entire communities and holds back our economy.
“The Tories have presided over unprecedented attacks on working people and our public services, and the SNP have failed to grow our economy and failed to tackle poverty and inequality. Scotland deserves better than this.”
Scot t ish Liberal Democrat inequalities spokeswoman Caron Lindsay added: “The persistent concentration of poverty in Glasgow is heart-wrenching.
“Boosting education and skills, while also ensuring mental health services are up to scratch to support people, is the most positive way to set about tackling enduring wealth disparities.”
Scottish Conservatives’ equalities spokeswoman Annie Wells said: “This report should ring alarm bells for Nicola Sturgeon. She needs to stop pointing the finger at everyone else and take some responsibility.”
According to the census research of 2011, Glasgow featured three times in the worst 10 areas. The hardest-hit parts of the UK in the last census were in two areas of Birmingham and one in Bradford. The next census is due in 2021. Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken said: “Glasgow’s complex deprivation issues require a long- term, cohesive, multistranded approach to eradicating poverty by helping to create a more sustainable and inclusive economy.”
Rev Dr Richard Frazer, convener of the Church of Scotland’s church and society council, said: “If Scotland and the UK are to make any headway in tackling poverty, a concerted effort needs to be made to listen to the voices of those living in these communities and allow them to shape our response.”
The Scottish Government said: “We are taking forward a number of bold measures to tackle income inequality, including our Child Poverty Act and Fairer Scotland Action Plan.
“With UK Government welfare cuts causing an overall reduction in welfare spending of £ 4billion in Scotland by 2020, we are fighting poverty with one hand tied behind our back.
“Despite these cuts, poverty rates in Scotland have consistently been between two and three percentage points below the UK average in the last 10 years.”
I would have expected Glasgow and Scotland to be up there but not in such a pronounced way