Poor hammered while wealthy prosper

Sir, - I have been struck by statistics from the Trussell Trust highlighting the fact that the use of foodbanks in Scotland has risen by 20% in the last year.

In addition, the Austerity Generation, a report by the Child Poverty Action Group and the Institute for Public Policy Research has revealed one million more children will be driven into poverty by the end of the decade as a result of the Conservative UK Government’s welfare reforms.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also noted the UK Government had acted with neglect when it came to the rights of disabled people.

However, these rises in child poverty, homelessness, hunger and undue harm to disabled people are not enough to make Theresa May’s Government reverse its policies.

Contrast this with the latest revelations from the Paradise Papers, which highlight politicians, celebrities and companies protecting their cash from the tax man and hiding their financial dealings.

This extends to the Queen, who invested £10 million of her personal fortune in an offshore tax haven.

So, while we have a Government fixated on tackling what is the relatively minor financial issue of benefit fraud, it seems more than a little lax in closing the loopholes that ensure that those, many of whom are Tory supporters and donors, are able to squirrel their money away offshore.

Our moral compass as a nation is seriously askew. Alex Orr. 77 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh.

Ken Linton with supplies ready for clients at Dundee Foodbank.