It’s time to end child poverty by changing welfare reforms

Every child growing up in Scotland today should have the best possible start in life.

But far too many youngsters are growing up in poverty across our nation.

In North Lanarkshire, that includes one-in-four children according to a new map produced by the End Child Poverty Coalition.

In Motherwell and Wishaw the figure is 26.1 per cent, which is one of the highest rates in Scotland.

And in some parts of the region, including Shotts, Newmains and Craigneuk, the situation is even worse. This should worry all of us. It is clear that the Tories’ approach to welfare is not working and is directly leading to more children being in poverty.

The Conservative Party should do the right thing and bring to an end the unfair, unjust and unworkable reforms of welfare and instead invest in Scotland’s greatest asset: our people.

But it is also time for the SNP Government in Edinburgh to drop the excuses and use the powers of the Scottish Parliament to help tackle child poverty head on.

It is clear that the Tory reforms to welfare are not working and are directly leading to more children being in poverty.

The Tory Party should do the right thing and bring to an end the unfair, unjust and unworkable reforms of welfare and instead invest in Scotland’s greatest asset: our people.

But it is also time for the SNP government in Edinburgh to drop the excuses and use the powers of the Scottish Parliament to help tackle child poverty head on.

We need better support for local government in tackling child poverty, yet the Edinburgh government is slashing funding for councils by hundreds of millions of pounds.

Half a billion pounds was cut from local government last year, with £1billion more forecast by the end of the decade unless there is a rethink from the SNP government.

That’s why Labour will put forward amendments to the Scottish budget so that the Scottish Parliament can use its powers to stop the cuts. We need actions not excuses. Next month, the Nationalist government will unveil its spending plans for 2017.

My party will seek to amend the budget with a 50p top rate of tax and a penny for public services. Nicola Sturgeon faces a choice: she can work with Labour to invest in public services, or she can continue to accept Tory budgets from Westminster.

I still feel raw after Donald Trump’s election victory.

I spent a short time campaigning for Hillary Clinton in the United States, and I was devastated with the outcome.

The most qualified candidate for president ever was defeated by the least qualified candidate ever.

The events of last week are distressing for those of us who believe in a society that is stronger together.

In 2008 the candidate offering America hope – Barack Obama - won the presidency.

Eight years later the candidate offering false hope did.

Those of us horrified by that need to find a way to let people once again see what real hope can deliver.

Co-operation and inclusion can still trump the politics of division and isolation.